


Numb

by happilylarry



Series: Numb [1]
Category: Best Song Ever - One Direction (Music Video), One Direction, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Edward, Alpha Harry, Alpha Marcel, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst, Bonding, Bottom Louis, Fluff, Infertility, Infidelity, M/M, Mpreg, Multi, Omega Louis, Pregnant Louis, Smut, soulmate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-03-08
Packaged: 2018-05-15 19:06:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 56,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5796283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happilylarry/pseuds/happilylarry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This may get confusing at times, so let me clarify some things: </p><p>-this is fiction. go with it.<br/>-they live in the wilderness. what wilderness? one i created in my mind<br/>-they use american currency<br/>-there is wifi in the middle of BFE because i said so</p></blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may get confusing at times, so let me clarify some things: 
> 
> -this is fiction. go with it.  
> -they live in the wilderness. what wilderness? one i created in my mind  
> -they use american currency  
> -there is wifi in the middle of BFE because i said so

Louis Tomlinson shivered and tried to bury his hands further into the threadbare coat he was wearing. He had no gloves, and he couldn't bend his fingers, yet he stood outside, with his parents, waiting at the train station. For what, he didn't know. He just knew that they were waiting. The train station wasn't much of a train station, either. It was a large platform not yet covered in snow, and there was a little boxed in room where you bought your tickets through a window and a little run down vending machine holding ancient snacks. 

 

Jay shielded her eyes and looked up and down the bare tracks. "They should be here by now." She said, not as quietly as she would have liked, because Louis whipped his head around and stared at her. He knew the bare minimum of details as to why he was here. 

 

" _They_?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. His eyes were wide and he suddenly became nervous. "Mother, what do you mean,  _they_?" 

 

She bit her lip and pulled Louis in for a hug. She squeezed him tightly and sniffled. "Baby, I'm so sorry." She cried. "I should have told you." 

 

Louis held her back and his eyes watered as well. He couldn't see anyone else cry and not do the same. "What do you mean? Told me what?" 

 

"Baby," She said. "The man you're about to meet...well, the  _men_ you're about to meet. They're going to take care of you, okay? We've talked about this. The deal, remember? You need to serve them, and they'll take care of you." She pulled back and her face was red and the tears had to be stinging her cold skin. "We just, we just can't afford to take care of you anymore, my darling. They offered what we needed and more." 

 

Louis looked over at his father, who had a pained expression. He was looking away, as if he was ashamed to admit the financial ruin he and his wife were experiencing. He hated that he couldn't provide enough for his wife and child. He couldn't ever afford to send Louis to school. They'd fallen on terrible times and he had to do what was best, even if it meant maybe never seeing his son again. He turned back to his mother. 

 

"They? There's more than one?" Louis asked. He tried to wrap his mind around everything.

 

"Don't be scared, my love. They just need a...housekeeper, sort of. You just need to provide the duties that you were born to provide and keep them comfortable. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. In exchange, they'll keep you safe. You'll have everything you've ever wanted, love. I promise." 

 

"How many are there?" He asked. He wanted an answer, not some vague details. 

 

Jay looked distraught. "Three." 

 

Louis wanted to throw up. "Three?" He whispered. He began to shake his head. "No, mom, I can't. Please don't make me. Please -" 

 

Jay grabbed his shoulders. "Baby, please calm down. Look at me.  _Look_ at me. We would never put you in danger.  _Never_. They're brothers. Wealthy brothers. They live off the grid, hence why we had to take the train all the way out here. They're private, and they mean business. You have to understand that we couldn't pass this up, baby." 

 

"So you sold me, pretty much?" He bit his lip and kicked at the ground. His shoes were thin and offered no support from the harsh elements. 

 

Jay gasped. "No!" She cried. Then, she sighed. "Louis, if you don't want to do this, you don't have to. We can, we can go home right now and call the whole thing off. I just don't want you to go back to the way we were living. I want you to have security and I want you to have anything you've ever wanted." She rubbed her hands up and down his arms. 

 

Louis searched her face up and down. She was beautiful, and always will be, but the hard times they'd endured were written all over her face. Her hair was grayer, and her eyes were dimmer. He couldn't back out now, not when he'd already agreed. He was willing to do anything for his family, even when he knew basically no details. He wanted his mother and father to have the life they deserved. 

 

"I-I-I'll do it." He finally stuttered out. She opened her mouth, but he shook his head. "I'll do it, mom." 

 

She let out a sob and pulled him closer again. A few seconds later, Dan enveloped them both and they stood there in their little huddle. Louis suspected that his father was crying as well. He himself hadn't really cried yet. It hadn't sunk in that he might not ever see his parents again. The huddle was broken a few seconds later when Dan's head snapped up. Jay wiped her eyes and looked up at him, confused. 

 

"They're here." Dan said quietly. Louis' eyes scanned the treeline and he couldn't see anything. 

 

"Where?" He asked. 

 

"Just wait." Dan answered, shoving his hands into his pockets. Louis turned his eyes back to the thick trees and waited. Moments later, three large wolves walked out of the forest. They walked with determination in their black eyes and acted as if they owned the place. Louis grew nervous the closer they got. When the wolves were as close as they were going to get, Dan stepped forward and nodded to the big one in front. He gestured to Louis. "My son," He introduced. 

 

The large, chocolate colored wolf stepped forward. He bared his big white teeth to Dan. Clenched between them was an envelope, and Dan took it. Louis knew it was the payment for him. When Dan had the check pocketed, he caught Louis' attention and nodded for him to step forward. He did so, with shaky steps. He was so nervous, especially when he had the eyes of three very big and very intimidating wolves on him. 

 

Jay stepped forward and pulled Louis close to her. She kissed his forehead before turning to the three animals. "He can't shift to go back with you." She told them. "He - the cold hurts his feet. He's sensitive to this harsh weather, and he's never experienced it." She sighed and gave Louis another crushing hug. "Just be kind to them," She whispered to him. "Do what they say and they'll treat you right." 

 

He nodded and Jay stepped away, making room for Dan. "Listen to your mother," Dan advised. "We love you." He stepped back and hesitated. "We were told to leave right after saying goodbye. I guess... I don't know. Keep in touch. Letters, anything. Just don't forget." He wrapped an arm tightly around Jay and led her away. Louis could hear her crying all the way to the car. When he was alone on the platform, he turned around and almost tumbled backwards. 

 

The wolves were standing right in front of him, and the omega inside of him could  _smell_ their strength. He could see how powerful they were, just by the way they were standing. He waved hesitantly. The brown wolf in front of him dropped and jerked his head. Louis bit his lip before climbing up onto the wolf. He dug his fingers into the warm, thick fur and tightened his thighs so that he wouldn't fly off. 

 

Before he knew it, they were sprinting through the woods at a breakneck speed. The wind whipped harshly at Louis' face and he buried it into the wolf's fur. He held on for dear life. He would die if he fell off, he was sure of it. His neck would snap or he'd fly into a tree or something gruesome like that. 

 

-

 

What should have been a five hour journey from the train station to the brothers' cabin in the woods lasted only forty-five minutes. When they arrive, Louis was practically jerked off of the wolf and he landed on the cold, solid ground. He stood on shaking legs and tried not to gasp when he looked up.

 

Instead of staring at the wolves, he was staring at three hulking, naked men.  _Identical_ , naked men. Naked men who had no shame in their bodies and made no move to hide their impressive packages. Louis kept his eyes trained on a pair of green ones that seemed to be killing him slowly. 

 

"H-H-Hi." He stuttered, looking from brother to brother. One brother rolled his eyes and tossed his hair into a bun and stalked inside. The one with straight hair followed. But the one with a long scar down his side stalked up to Louis, smirking. 

 

"I already don't like you." The deep voice said. "But we promised your parents that you would be taken care of, so there will be rules and if you break them, we  _will_ make you sleep outside." 

 

Louis looked around him. They were surrounded by trees and God only knows what's hiding around them at night. He shivered and stared back up at the intimidating alpha. "O-Okay." 

 

The alpha turned on his heel and headed up the stairs and into the house. Louis followed. When he finally entered the house and closed the door. He stood shivering as he watched as the alphas tugged on boxer briefs that left  _little_ to the imagination. 

 

"This is Harry," The one with straight hair pointed to the one with his hair up in a bun. "I'm Marcel, and that's Edward." 

 

Louis took his time looking at each brother. Edward's body was riddled with small scars and big scars, and he wanted to know the story behind each one. He was tall and built like a wall, and he was fit as hell. Harry was the same way, except his body had tattoos covering it. Marcel was maybe a half an inch shorter than his brothers, and he had milky white skin, unblemished. 

 

"When you're done staring," Edward snapped. "I'll tell you the rules." 

 

Louis blushed and looked up at Edward. "S-Sorry." He said, shifting from foot to foot. 

 

Edward smirked and rubbed his hands together. "First off, we are the alphas and you are the omega, sadly. But that's where it ends. We have standards and you simply don't cut it." 

 

Louis flinched at that comment. It really hurt him. He'd always been so insecure of himself. 

 

"The deal was that you were to come and keep us happy. You can do so by keeping things clean and tidy. There will always be an abundance of food in the house so we  _always_ expect a hot meal, no excuses. You will do our laundry and you will  _never_ complain about it. If you do, you'll find yourself outside for the night. You will eat after we have eaten and you won't complain about anything we give you. Anything you need, we will happily provide. Any questions so far?" 

 

Louis shook his head. 

 

Edward clapped his hands. "Great. [This](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b9/89/24/b98924ac8d1aba5705c2b26669083754.jpg) is the living room, clearly. As you can see, it already needs to be cleaned. My brothers and I are quite messy when we want to be." He jerked his head and motioned for Louis to follow him, which he did, stiffly. They entered the kitchen and Louis couldn't help but gape. He loved it. "[This](http://hgtvhome.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/hgtv/fullset/2013/9/12/3/DP_Thomas-Oppelt-italian-style-kitchen_4x3.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.616.462.jpeg) is where you will prepare our meals. You will have full discretion of the kitchen, and you can use it any time you see fit. Are there any items in particular that you want us to get next time we leave?" 

 

"Um," Louis thought for a few moments. "Yogurt?" He fiddled with the hem of his shirt and looked up at Edward. "A-And graham crackers?" 

 

Edward raised a single eyebrow. "Is that it?" 

 

Louis nodded. "Yes." 

 

"Fine. You shall have it soon. Let's continue." He led them through the laundry room, the mud room, the downstairs bathroom, and finally they headed upstairs. Edward pushed open a door and Louis shuffled in. "This is my brothers and I [bedroom](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ff/ee/d3/ffeed37b2053be3ed90ff7507d5af311.jpg). We share it. We expect it to be cleaned everyday. Same goes for our bathroom. Any questions?" When Louis shook his head, Edward led them down the hallway to another door. 

 

Louis stepped in and was immediately surrounded by a cold draft. His teeth began to chatter. 

 

"This is your bedroom." Edward grinned as if he was showing Louis a brand new car. Except it wasn't. Nothing about it was brand new. There was no light, except a single window, and there was a small bed and only one nightstand. Not even a dresser or anything, not that he had any clothes. He was told that his clothes would be provided. "Do you like it?" 

 

Louis swallowed hard and nodded. His room didn't even have heat, for God's sake, and it was less than five degrees outside. He wanted to cry so badly, but he couldn't. With the alpha in front of him, he'd be made fun of for days. "Thank you." He said. 

 

"Now that you've gotten acquainted with everything," Edward said. "We're hungry." 

 

"Um," Louis said. "Could I m-maybe change my clothes? I'm really c-cold." He was wearing a thin shirt under his coat and jeans that did nothing to protect him from the cold. He shifted from foot to foot as Edward scanned his body. 

 

"No." The alpha finally said. "My brothers and I have a lot of work to do, and while we do that, you need to be doing your duties as an omega. Understand?" 

 

"Y-Yes." He squeaked, following Edward as the alpha stomped out of the room. "W-What do you like?" 

 

Edward paused on the top step. He stared at Louis as if he were stupid. "We like meat." Was all he said before heading down the stairs. He heard Edward saying something to his brothers, and from the top of the stairs, he could see them exit the cabin, all fully clothed now. When the door shut, he blinked back tears and headed down the staircase and into the kitchen. 

 

He opened all of the cabinets and found that most of them were packed with canned and boxed goods. The fridge was just the same. It was massive and stuffed with all sorts of things. The pantry had loads of dried things and again, was stuffed. Louis wracked his brain, trying to remember some of the many recipes his mother had taught him. He spent a lot of his time in the kitchen with his mother. 

 

Finally, he decided on stew. You couldn't go wrong with soup, right? He grabbed the necessary ingredients and began to work. He lost himself in peeling potatoes and chopping carrots and celery. He chopped thick pieces of beef up and even made biscuits from scratch. His mother had always said that food isn't good unless it's made with love, and she was right. Every time they cooked, they had taken their time and made things from scratch, and it had always tasted so much better than boxed. 

 

When the thick stew was simmering on the stove and the biscuits were near ready, he wandered into the dining room. It was a small, cozy room with a table for four. He sighed as he set it, knowing that he wouldn't be able to eat in here with them. He'd have to wait until they were done. It was a shame, because he wanted to get to know the alphas better, and with them distancing him, it didn't seem possible. 

 

He figured that he'd better make the best of this situation, and let them see that he wasn't unlikable or stupid or anything like that. And he would start with showing them that he could provide for them. He checked on the stew once more before heading outside. He stood on the porch and scanned the thick lining of trees. They weren't out front, but he could hear them out back, so he stepped off of the porch and headed around back. 

 

Edward was shirtless and glistening, swinging an ax above his head and chopping wood. Harry was stacking the chopped wood in the little shed, and Marcel was carrying tree stumps to be chopped. He couldn't help but stare. The air was thick with testosterone and pheromones and it stirred something inside of him. Of course, he'd have to be the one to disturb them. 

 

Edward took a mighty inhale, expecting oxygen and not the sweet scent of an omega. He dropped the ax and looked up. Behind him, Harry stopped picking up the logs and Marcel stumbled. They all stared at him, breathing heavily. 

 

He shifted. "Um." He said, biting his lip. "I-If you're hungry...there's food. I made food." He stammered. 

 

Edward stepped forward and Louis would give nothing more than to have those bulging biceps wrapped around him. "What is it." He said. 

 

Louis looked up at him. His green eyes were electric. "Stew." He said, clearing his throat. The cold wind was biting at his face and drying his mouth up. He wanted to go inside and lay in front of the fireplace. Maybe naked. Maybe surrounded by the three very attractive brothers. 

 

"We'll be finished here shortly." Edward said, stepping back and lifting the ax. "After we're done eating, you need to attend to the greenhouse. All the vegetables in it need to be brought in and canned. You do know how to do that?" 

 

Louis nodded. "My mom taught me." He looked all around him, trying to spot the greenhouse. It was a small building, and it couldn't hold much. 

 

Edward hummed in lieu of an answer and brought the ax down onto a log with a loud crack. Louis flinched as he watched the log split into two. He kicked the logs to the side and put another on the block. "You should go ahead and eat." He suggested. "By the time we're done, there won't be anything left." Behind him, Harry and Marcel both nodded in agreement. They had the appetites of vikings. 

 

"O-Okay." Louis nodded and turned on his heel, heading back inside. Once in the kitchen, he stirred the soup before pouring it into a bowl for himself. He grabbed a few biscuits and sat them down at the island. Out of the corner of his eye, a stack of magazines caught his eye. They were stacked up by the trash can, and he bent over to look at them. There were some baby magazines, and some home decor magazines, and a few gossip magazines. He picked up one of each and walked back over to the island. He lifted himself up onto a chair and opened one of the magazines. 

 

He read through the baby one, reading the articles in detail. He'd always wanted to be a mom, and get pregnant and have a few little kids. It was his dream to raise them in a warm and loving home with a warm and loving alpha. He let his mind wander and imagined that he had kids with the brothers. It was a lovely image, but he tucked it away in the back of his mind for now. The brothers didn't even like him.  _Yet_ , the little voice in his mind said. 

 

He shook his head clear of the thoughts and went back to the magazine. He used the pen he found in a drawer and circled some of the things he liked. He folded down the pages of articles he wanted to read again, and he was drawing a heart next to a beautiful rocking chair when he heard someone clear their throat. He looked up and saw the three brothers standing in front of him. 

 

"Um." He said, staring at each individual one. Then, he remembered why he was there. "Oh!" He slid off of the stool and rushed over to grab three bowls from the cabinets. Only, he was too short. His bowl was in the dishwasher, that's how he got his, and it was the last one. He bit his lip before climbing up onto the counter. He steadied himself on his knees and opened the cabinet. 

 

Behind him, the three men shamelessly ogled his bottom. Marcel, who was the most sensible one, only stared for a few seconds before stepping forward to put his hands around Louis' waist. He ignored the hitch in Louis' breath and lowered him to the ground. "Don't want to hurt yourself." He said to the omega. 

 

Louis nodded and clutched the bowls to his stomach. He sat them down by the stove and began ladling hearty portions into each bowl. He handed the bowls off to each brother with a spoon. They left the kitchen and headed straight into the dining room. It was only when the oven dinged that he remembered the biscuits. He slid them out with an oven mitt and put all except one on a plate. He carried it into the dining room. 

 

The brothers, who were talking animatedly to each other, became eerily silent when he walked in. Their eyes were on him, and it felt very judgmental. He paused at the doorway before stepping forward and putting the plate on the table. 

 

"Forgot about these." He explained quietly. He looked at each one before slipping back out the door. When he was in the kitchen, he shook his head and calmed his heart rate. He felt so uneasy around them, and he hoped that the feeling would go away soon. He couldn't very well be scared of his protectors, now could he?

 

-

 

By the time the three alphas came back into the kitchen, Louis wasn't even halfway done with his food. He was still circling the things he loved in the magazine, and he paused when they walked in. 

 

"You're still eating?" Edward snorted, walking over to the fridge to pull out a large bottle of water. He took a few swigs before handing it to Harry. 

 

Louis looked down at his bowl. "I...I guess so." He shrugged. 

 

"Be nice, Edward." Marcel said to his brother. "He probably has a small stomach." 

 

Edward's eyes trailed straight to his stomach and lingered there. "Yeah, doesn't look like it." 

 

Louis' cheeks grew hot and he put his spoon down. "I was done anyway." He said quietly. He pushed himself back from the island and stepped down from the stool. He kept his gaze pointed to the ground. 

 

"In that case," Edward said, heading towards the backdoor. "You can start cleaning up." He motioned for Harry to follow him, and pretty soon, it was just him and Marcel in the kitchen. Marcel stepped forward. 

 

"You can finish if you want." He suggested. "My brother can be a bit mean." 

 

Louis shrugged. "It's nothing I haven't heard before." It was true. He'd been bullied relentlessly at his old neighborhood. He could never explain his low self esteem to his parents. He was embarrassed by it. 

 

Marcel sighed and stepped closer. "Seriously. I'll stay in here if you want to finish?" 

 

Louis hesitated. "Are you sure?" He asked. "No, never mind. I'm alright." 

 

"Please, finish eating." Marcel gently nudged Louis back towards the table. "You don't look well at all." 

 

Louis sat back on the stool and looked down at his bowl. "I just...I eat so slowly because whatever food we had, we had to make it last." He said, shoulders slumping. "I couldn't walk into the kitchen anytime I was hungry." 

 

Marcel was quiet for several moments. "I don't want you to feel that way here." He finally said. "I want you to feel at home. What's ours is yours now. Eat anytime you want. We promised to take care of you and we can't very well do that if you don't want to be here." 

 

Louis finally looked up. Marcel's eyes were sincere. "I'll try. It's just difficult with your brothers." 

 

Marcel put his elbows on the counter and leaned on them. "Ignore them. They're cocky bastards. Biggest and baddest in the forest, you know." He grinned. 

 

Louis let out a little laugh. "I can see that." He said, closing the magazine. Marcel looked over at it. 

 

"Why were you circling things in there?" He asked curiously. 

 

Louis shrugged. "Just the things I like. Sometimes when I'm bored, I like to look at old magazines and put my dream house together. I guess I was just putting my future nursery together." He looked up at Marcel. "Why do three alphas have a baby magazine?" He asked. 

 

Marcel rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't get me started on that. Edward, when he was denying his sexuality some months ago, he kept bringing the same girl back to the house. She was annoying. Annoying laugh, annoying bobby pins left everywhere, just annoying. Well, I guess Edward gave her the impression that they were serious, because she starting leaving baby and pregnancy magazines all throughout the house. She even had a subscription of  _Father's Weekly_ sent to the cabin. Well, that freaked Edward out. He thought that he'd knocked her up, even though they'd never done anything like that. He dropped her so fast it was comical. After that, he erased every trace of her, but the baby magazines kept showing up. Turns out, not only did she get him that fathers subscription, but a few more. They were just backed up at the post office, so when they were delivered, he had a good four months worth of three different magazines." 

 

Louis giggled into his hand. "That sounds funny. I wish I could have seen that." He ate a few more spoonfuls of the stew. He didn't realize Marcel was staring at him until he crumbled the biscuit up. "What?" He asked. 

 

"Nothing." Marcel shook his head. "I just...I like to see you eat, that's all. Makes me feel as though you're happy, even if it is just for a few moments." 

 

"I think you're my favorite." Louis said, using his spoon to mix the biscuit in with the stew. "Why are you so nice when you're brothers aren't?" 

 

Marcel sighed. "I'm really not sure. They weren't always like that. I guess I don't realize it that much because they're never rude to me." 

 

"Of course not. You're their brother." Louis said sympathetically. "I don't have any siblings."

 

"Oh?" Marcel asked. He wanted to learn more about Louis. 

 

"Yeah." The omega sounded glum. "I guess I was a pretty difficult pregnancy and birth, so they didn't want to take that chance. Of course, as I got older and they began to realize their financial situation, more kids would have sent my parents into bankruptcy." 

 

Marcel paused. "So I guess they're in pretty bad shape?" 

 

Louis nodded and sat his spoon down. "I guess. They didn't ever want me to know about their situation, so they pretended that everything was fine. I heard the phone calls though, and the collectors that would come to the door. Both of my parents tried to hold down jobs, but even working sixteen hours everyday at the hospital wasn't enough for my mom, and my dad had some pretty bad health problems. The factory he worked at really didn't provide the necessary equipment and there was a lot of smoke. I never...I never got to go to school." He admitted. 

 

"Oh," Marcel said. "That's...that's terrible. I'm so sorry." 

 

Louis shrugged. "It's fine. Mom taught me some things. She taught me how to cook and make my own clothes, and she taught me how to read. I just don't know a lot of math or science. We were going to learn, but the library near our house closed down. So." 

 

"If it makes you feel any better, I never did understand math or science." Marcel told him. "And we have plenty of books here, if you ever want to read. Feel free to take as many as you'd like." 

 

Louis looked up at Marcel. "Thank you." He said quietly. "Really. I don't know what I would have done if you were as mean as your brothers." 

 

Marcel barked out a laugh. "I don't think I'd know what to do either."

 

-

 

Later in the day, Edward cornered Marcel in the bathroom. He was furious, and Marcel was curious to know what had twisted his panties this time. Edward always got angry over the stupidest shit. 

 

"Are you wanting to fool around?" Marcel asked sarcastically. "Because if you do, at least let me wash my hands first."

 

"Shut up, baby brother." Edward snapped. "I saw you helping the omega earlier." 

 

"His name is Louis," Marcel responded. "He's going to be living here with us for awhile, get it right." 

 

"It's  _his_ job to clean, not yours. Harry and I saw the way you two were getting cozy in the kitchen earlier." Edward's eyes were angry and almost red in color. His fists were clenched and Marcel looked down at them. 

 

"Are you going to hurt me?" He asked his older brother. "Because if you're not, take it easy and talk to me normally." 

 

Edward sighed and lowered his forehead onto Marcel's shoulder. "Sorry, baby brother." He apologized.

 

Marcel brought his hands up to Edward's back and rubbed it up and down. "It's alright. What's wrong? Why are you so mean to him?" 

 

Edward shrugged. "There's something about him that I just don't trust." He cupped his hands around Marcel's waist. 

 

"If you got to know him, you'd like him a lot. He's come from some pretty tough times. His parents couldn't send him to school, you know." Marcel said. Edward lifted his head. 

 

"So they weren't lying about their finances." He seemed shocked. He'd encountered a lot of dishonest people, and more than once, they'd tried to swindle them out of their money. He was a little hesitant with Louis' parents, too, but they seemed honest and no alpha would pretend to be as poor as Dan was. 

 

Marcel shook his head. "Not at all. I learned so much about him and we talked for maybe twenty minutes. Imagine what you'd learn if you stopped being so hateful towards him. Harry too. He didn't choose to be here. He's here because his parents couldn't afford to take care of him." 

 

Edward stood upright and looked at his little brother. "Has it ever occurred to you that we're running a glorified babysitting job?" 

 

  
Marcel hit Edward's stomach. "Stop that. He's the first omega we've had here doing what he's doing. Be nice to him or I'll suggest he poisons your food." 

 

Edward smirked at Marcel and lowered his mouth down to his brothers neck. He placed a few open mouthed kisses to the soft skin. "Would you do that to me, baby brother?" He nipped at the skin before sucking it against his teeth. The little moan Marcel let out made him suck harder, making sure that his brother would have a dark bruise for at least a few seconds.

 

"You know," Marcel said, tugging at Edward's hair. "If we had an omega, the marks you leave would stay." 

 

"What are you suggesting?" Edward asked, nibbling at Marcel's collarbones. 

 

"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm just saying that we should take advantage of the situation at hand. We have an omega in our house right now. We should at least try to -" 

 

Edward pulled back and snarled. "The answer is no." He snapped. "Whatever you're thinking, stop. He's here to  _serve_ us and when we're through with him - "

 

"Yes, brother, but when will that be?" Marcel challenged. "What happens when I've fallen in love with him and you and Harry still despise him?" 

 

Edward stared at his baby brother. Shock was written all over his face. "Brother, are you saying that you're in love with him?" He questioned, a hint of jealousy rearing it's head. 

 

Marcel sighed and dropped his head back against the wall. "I'm saying that over time, I could very well fall in love with him." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should stop writing fics lmao
> 
> and i feel like i need some fan art for my stories. like, anyone know any killer fan artists for strict/bite me/perfect/this one?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tiny tiny tiny mention of rape

The next morning, right before dawn, Louis slapped another pancake onto the staggering pile he'd already made and yawned into his hand. He was given strict instructions to be up and have breakfast ready before the three brothers were awake, which he did, and now breakfast was almost ready and there was no sign of them. Granted, he really hadn't been listening for any sounds upstairs, but still. It would be nice to at least hear them. 

 

He flipped the bacon that was sizzling and did the same to the sausage. Another request, from Harry, was that there was an ample amount meat. Louis guessed that he probably wasn't satisfied with the heaping chunks of beef in the stew last night, but oh well. They'd get what they requested because that's what Louis was there do to. To serve and not ask questions.

 

Just as he was putting the last pancake onto the stack and taking the bacon and sausage off the burner, Marcel walked in, bright eyed and wearing his pajamas. "Good morning," He said, sitting at the island. "Sleep well?" 

 

Louis began plating some food for Marcel. "I guess." He slid the plate over to the alpha. "It was cold in my room." 

 

Marcel's head snapped up. "Are you serious?" He asked. "Fucking Edward." He shook his head and stabbed at a pancake. 

 

Louis paused. "Why?" He lifted his own piece of bacon up to his mouth and chewed on it. 

 

Marcel shook his head. "He never puts the heat on in that room. He said he would do it but I guess he  _forgot_." He rolled his eyes when he said the last part. "By the way, this is really good. You said your mom taught you how to cook?" 

 

Louis nodded proudly. "She did. I always looked forward to it. Although, I've never cooked this much for so many people." He eyed the mound of pancakes. "Did you want syrup?" He walked over to the fridge. "I thought I saw a jar of it in here earlier? Ah, right here!" He grabbed the jar of maple syrup and slid it over to Marcel. 

 

"Thanks." Marcel said, pouring some onto his pancakes. "You should eat before my brothers come down." 

 

"I will." Louis promised. "So, what are the plans for today?" He asked, nibbling on some sausage. When he heard the coffee stop dripping, he turned around and grabbed a mug. He poured some for Marcel and sat it down next to the alpha, along with cream and sugar. 

 

"I think we're going into town. Winter is coming, and quickly this year. We need to be prepared. Last year, the snow got here a few days before, and during the night, so we were unprepared. It drove Edward mad. He likes to be in control." 

 

"Funny," Louis said. "I would have never known." 

 

Marcel smiled at him. "Anyway, we need to get some more things, and you need to get appropriate clothing. We told your parents not to pack anything of yours, and I hope you didn't mind. It's just that, we thought maybe you'd like what we had to offer more? I'm sorry if that seems a little rude, but -" 

 

Louis shook his head. "It's fine. I didn't have much anyway. I told mom to donate it." He poured himself some orange juice and spread some jam over his toast. "Did you want some?" 

 

Marcel shook his head. "Maybe later. I want to fill up with what's on my plate." 

 

"Okay. Just let me know." Louis shrugged. 

 

"Anyway," Marcel continued, shoving more food into his mouth. With anyone else, it would have bothered Louis, but with Marcel, he found it endearing. "You'll be getting the appropriate gear. The winters here are brutal if you don't know exactly how to survive them. Also, you're an omega. Biologically, you're weaker. And though my brothers and I will be here to protect you, if a rare situation arises and you're alone, we need you to be able to live until we can get to you." 

 

Louis grew nervous. "What do you mean? What situation would I be alone?" 

 

Marcel swallowed and took a swig of coffee. "You could get lost in the snowfall. You may think I'm exaggerating, but it falls thick here, and you can barely see in front of your own face. Under no circumstances are you to go outside alone. Always get one of us to go with you. Though, I'm not sure why you'll ever need to go out in the snow by yourself, but still. We need to be prepared." 

 

Louis nodded. "Is that it?"

 

Marcel sighed. "No. You could get attacked by a wild animal, you could get frostbite, you could catch a deadly cold." He ticked them off on his fingers. "Though none of those things will happen to you, I need you to know that if they ever do, you'll be safe with us. Under no circumstances will we let you get hurt." 

 

"Thanks." Louis said sincerely. "Really, thank you." 

 

"For what?" Marcel asked, cutting into the sausage. He looked up at the omega. In the dim kitchen light, he looked angelic. 

 

Louis shrugged and dipped his pancakes into some syrup. "For not going back on your promises. I think my mom and dad would sleep easier at night if they knew that I would be one hundred percent safe." 

 

Marcel thought for several moments before pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Would you like to call them?" 

 

Louis' eyes grew wide. "You have phones here? But how do you get service?" 

 

Marcel shrugged. "We have our ways." He waved the phone back and forth. "So do you?" 

 

Louis nodded and wiped his hands on his pants. "Really?" He asked, already walking towards the alpha. "Please?" His hands were shaking when he took the phone from Marcel. The alpha watched as Louis dialed the number he knew by heart with shaking fingers. Marcel heard it ring a few times before a woman answered. Louis' mother, he assumed, from the way Louis began to cry. 

 

"Louis?" His mother asked. "Baby, is that you?" 

 

Louis nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see him. "Hi, mommy." He said quietly, the sobs shaking his voice. Marcel wanted to wrap him up and hold him close. 

 

He could hear some scrambling on the other end of the phone. "Oh, baby!" She cried happily. "How are you? Are you alright? Have you eaten? Do you like it there?" 

 

"I-I'm fine, mom." He said, taking a deep breath. He tried to steady his voice. "I miss you and dad." 

 

"Oh, darling, we miss you too." She cried into the receiver. "Are the boys treating you right?" 

 

"Yes, mom." He laughed quietly. "One in particular." 

 

Marcel heard Louis' mom coo and his own cheeks flamed up. He knew without a doubt that Louis was talking about him. And he wasn't even trying to hide it! He turned his attention back to his breakfast and tried to stop listening in. 

 

"That's wonderful, sweetheart!" She crowed happily. 

 

"Anyway," Louis began walking around the kitchen, pausing at the backdoor. He peeled the curtain aside and looked outside. "How's dad?" 

 

"He's doing good, baby. We finally got insurance and the doctor is wonderful. Your father started some breathing treatments and he's doing fabulously. He misses you." Jay sniffled on the other end. 

 

"I miss him too." Louis sad. "How are you doing?" 

 

"I'm fine, Louis. I've always been fine." She said softly. "Just trying to make things right." 

 

Louis was quiet for several moments. "I know." He kicked at the ground, and Marcel felt guilty that this arrangement had gone through. If he'd had known Louis and their circumstances before, he would have given them the money, no strings attached and no hesitation. He would have let Louis stay with his parents. 

 

"Listen, baby." His mom said. "I love you, and your dad loves you, okay? You know that, right? What we did, it was for - " 

 

"I know." Louis interrupted her. "I know." He looked up when Harry and Edward entered the kitchen. "I've got to go, mom. I love you. I'll call you again soon, okay?" 

 

"Okay baby. I love you too. Stay safe and be good, okay?" Jay said before hanging up. Louis sighed and stared at the phone for awhile before handing it back to Marcel. 

 

"Thank you." He said with a small smile. He looked at the other two alphas, who looked confused. He averted his gaze quickly and began to fill their plates. He made sure to put a lot of the meat onto Harry's plate. He wanted the alpha to be satisfied with this meal. When he handed the plates off, Edward paused and gazed down at him. Louis shifted from foot to foot. 

 

"We leave as soon as we're done eating." He said gruffly, jerking the fork from Louis' hand. "You will be ready or you'll be left behind." He stalked off towards the dining room, following Harry. When they were gone, Marcel sighed. 

 

"Surprisingly, he's in a good mood today." 

 

-

 

Louis stared up at the pick up truck. It was clear that the alphas used it for hauling things, as there was visible wear and tear on it. But that wasn't his problem. His problem was that it was very high up off the ground, and he would need to jump to get into it. He was busy trying to figure a way to get into it without being made fun of, and he didn't notice that Harry had stopped and was staring at him. 

 

"It's a normal truck, if that's what you're pondering." Harry said, his voice deep. 

 

Louis startled and turned around. He stuck his chin out. "Yes, I know that. It's just..." He paused and turned back around, eyeing the open door. From behind him, Harry barked out a loud laugh. 

 

"Oh, I see your problem, little one." Harry sidled up beside him, smirking. "Can't get in? Better figure out a way before Edward leaves you. Who knows what happens here when we're gone? What sort of scary animal comes adventuring out of the woods?" 

 

A loud bang sounded, and they both looked up. Edward had closed the tailgate and he was staring at Harry. "Don't scare him," He said roughly. He made his way to the passengers side of the truck and stared at Louis. "Get in." 

 

Harry laughed again, and Louis became frustrated. He swiveled around to face Harry. "Shut up!" He said. "It's not funny." He was expecting Harry to maybe make a sarcastic remark or for Edward to tell him to shut up, but he wasn't expecting to be slammed against the hard exterior of the black truck. His heart rate accelerated when he looked up and found that he was touching noses with Harry. 

 

The alpha grabbed his jaw between his thumb and forefinger, gently though. He turned Louis' face to the side and pressed his lips to Louis' ear. "I like your smart little mouth." He said. His warm breath made goosebumps appear all over Louis' skin. "I could find some ways for you to put it to good use, if you'd like." 

 

"Knock it off, Harry." Marcel stepped off the porch, twirling the keys in his hands. He opened the drivers side and slid in, starting the truck. Edward sighed impatiently, holding the passengers side door open. 

 

Harry turned his face back around and made direct eye contact with him. Louis' eyes searched Harry's and he found himself sort of getting lost in the clear, mossy green. He ignored the way his hands wanted to touch Harry's chest and how his lips were desperate to meet Harry's. He ignored it harder when Harry got closer. Harry brushed his lips across Louis' skin. 

 

"Next time," He said, bumping his nose against Louis' cheek. "I won't be so kind." He pushed himself away and climbed into the truck. Louis blinked a few times before looking over at Edward. The alpha looked inconvenienced as he moved his hand, gesturing for Louis to hurry the hell up. 

 

Louis walked over to the truck and stared back at Edward. "Uh," He said, shifting feet. 

 

Edward rolled his eyes. "Fucks sake." He said, storming up behind Louis. He grabbed the small omega with one arm and hauled him up into the truck. Louis was partial to manhandling, and his eyes wanted to roll back in their sockets. He just hoped to God that he didn't start leaking. When they were all in the truck, Edward slammed the door shut and Marcel began to drive away. 

 

Louis looked to his left. Marcel was driving and Harry was sitting with his arms across his chest. To his right, Edward was staring out the window aggressively. They boxed Louis in. He shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position and one where his thighs weren't pressed up against Harry's or Edward's. He failed, so he stopped and slumped against the seat.

 

"Where are we going?" He asked, looking at each individual alpha.

 

"Into town," Marcel reminded him.

 

"How long will that take?" He asked. He could tell Harry was becoming irritated with the questions, and he assumed that all of their traveling was done in silence.

 

"The trip there?" Marcel asked. "About four and a half hours."

 

"Whoa." He said. "How often do you guys go into town then?"

 

Marcel shrugged. "About twice a month. We make sure to stock up."

 

"I bet." Louis hummed. He stared out the windshield for maybe ten minutes before he grew bored. He reached forward to turn the radio on, but Harry slapped his hand away. _Hard_. 

 

"No radio." Harry snapped harshly.

 

Louis cradled his hand and stared at his lap. A little slap was nothing, but one from an alpha made it _hurt_. Alphas always hit with the intention to hurt, Louis remembered his mother schooling him on how to be a good omega. She said to always leave a situation where he thinks that his alpha might try to hurt him, because  _alphas always hit with the intention to hurt_. 

 

"Sorry." He whispered, shifting himself away from Harry. He was satisfied when their thighs weren't touching anymore. He heard Marcel sigh, agitated. 

 

"Could we just get along for this ride, please?" Marcel asked. "Harry, there's nothing wrong with wanting to listen to the radio." 

 

"Yes there is," Edward piped in. "I don't want to listen to pointless noise." 

 

"Fine." Marcel shifted and dug around in his pocket. He handed Louis his cell phone. "Here." 

 

"Thanks." Louis said quietly. He held the phone in his lap, not bothering to use it. His hand still hurt, and it was red and stinging. He felt the lowest of the low. Only bad omegas got hit or treated badly by alphas, everyone knew that. He tried to reason with himself. Maybe he was being annoying, or maybe Harry had a headache. He should have asked before touching something that wasn't even his. 

 

"When you get to the next gas station, stop." Edward said. "I need to check the oil."

 

"Thought you checked it before we left?" Harry asked, sighing heavily. 

 

"Forgot." Edward said, effectively ending that conversation. They must have driven another fifty minutes before Marcel pulled off at a little gas station/grocery store/truck stop cafe. Marcel pulled up to a pump, noticing that the truck was a little less than half a tank. Edward jumped out as soon as the truck stopped, and Louis slid out, still clutching Marcel's phone. Behind him, Harry sped out and after Edward into the gas station. 

 

Louis was just about to follow when Marcel grabbed his wrist gently. He swiveled around and stared up at the alpha, who looked sorry. Marcel turned his wrist over and looked at the mark Harry left. 

 

"I'm sorry." He said. "Harry's not usually that aggressive." 

 

Louis shrugged. "It's fine." He pushed his hair away from his forehead and looked around him. There wasn't much around. No cars, nothing. 

 

"No, it's not." Marcel insisted. "I'll talk to my brothers. If they keep being mean like this..." 

 

"What will you do?" Louis asked curiously. 

 

Marcel blinked a few times before smiling. "I'll mate you to spite them." 

 

Louis giggled. He knew that in a relationship with two or more alphas,  _all_ the alphas had to mate the same omega. It would drive Harry and Edward insane if Marcel did that. Then they would be stuck with him forever. "I don't think they'd enjoy that." 

 

Marcel laughed and shook his head. He reached behind himself and pulled out his wallet. "Go and get something to eat, okay? It's a long drive." He handed the wallet to the omega and turned back to the gas pump. 

 

"Do you want anything?" He asked. The wind around them was picking up, blowing frigid air into his face. 

 

"Water, please. And just double whatever you get. I'm not picky like my brothers." He grinned at Louis. Louis blushed and headed into the gas station. He could hear Edward and Harry talking quietly, and he made sure to ignore them. He didn't want to make a scene in the gas station. He made his way through the aisles, deciding on what he wanted. He grabbed two bags of beef jerky and a bag of chips. He wasn't really that hungry, and if he grew hungry, they would be stopping in town soon and most likely they would eat there. 

 

He headed towards the cooler and grabbed two bottles of water. As he made his way to the front counter, he saw Harry and Edward out of the corner of his eye. They were acting lovey-dovey towards each other and he was shocked to see such attitude from both. 

 

"Is this it?" The woman behind the counter asked warmly. 

 

He scanned the items. "Uh..." He reached down and grabbed a bag of candy. "This too." Beside him, there was a little kiosk of phone accessories. He spotted some headphones and added those to the pile. "Those too." 

 

She scanned them and added them to the bag. "Is that it?" She asked again, laughing quietly. 

 

"Yes. Finally." He handed her the money and accepted the change. He grabbed the bag and headed out the door. The wind whipped at his face, and he lifted the collar of his coat and hurried to the truck. Marcel was sitting inside, making sure it got warm. He looked up when Louis opened the door and slid the bag in. 

 

"You'd better use the bathroom, too." Marcel suggested. Louis nodded and turned on his heel. Now that he thought about it, he did have to go. And he didn't want to be in the car for a few more hours without the opportunity to stop and go. He pushed the door to the gas station back open and headed towards the bathrooms. He knocked once, and when no one answered, he went inside. 

 

He did his business and washed his hands thoroughly. If he was going to be sharing chips with three other people, he wanted to make sure he didn't spread any germs. He dried his hands and exited the bathroom. He hurried out of the gas station and over to the truck. Harry and Edward were already inside, and he had to crawl over Edward. Once he was seated, he buckled up and sighed. 

 

"All ready?" Marcel asked, putting the truck into drive and leaving the parking lot. Harry was quietly munching on a pretzel stick and Edward was reading the newspaper he'd picked up. Neither one of them seemed to be open to talking, so Louis pulled out Marcel's phone and the headphones. Of course, the headphones would be near impossible to open, and he nudged Edward to help him. 

 

Edward flicked the newspaper closed and glared at him. Then, he sighed and sat the newspaper down. He fiddled with the headphones for a few seconds before tearing the packaging open. He handed them to Louis and threw the trash into the bag. 

 

"Thanks." He said, plugging them into Marcel's phone. He opened the Netflix app, actually surprised that Marcel would have it, and opened the bag of jerky. He settled in, pressing play on a random movie. He chewed on a piece of jerky as he watched. 

 

-

 

Three and a half hours later, Marcel pulled the truck into a parking lot. Louis peeked up from the phone. They were at a hardware store. Seems about right, Louis thought as he closed out of the app and pocketed Marcel's phone. He wrapped the headphones up and put them in the cup holder. He slid out behind Edward. 

 

"What are we doing?" He asked Marcel, who came around to stand beside him. 

 

"Harry and I are going to go get the rest of our supplies. We need to finish the survival shelter." Marcel said to him. 

 

"What about me?" Louis asked. 

 

Marcel glanced down at him. "You and Edward are going to go grocery shopping. Edward knows what to get, and you get whatever you want, okay? And when you get clothes, please remember to get warm things." 

 

Louis shook his head. "I want to come with you." He said. 

 

"Well, princess," Edward spoke up, taking the keys from Marcel. "That's not happening. Hop in." 

 

Louis looked at Marcel pleadingly, but the alpha shook his head. "I'm sorry, Louis. Look, you have my phone. If you need something, call Harry's phone and I'll answer. Or just ignore Edward the whole time." 

 

He heard Edward scoff behind him and he nodded. "Fine." He got back into the truck with Marcel's assistance and waved goodbye. He pretended not to hear Marcel tell Edward to be nice to him. He watched as Harry and Marcel headed into the hardware store. 

 

"Alright, princess, ready?" Edward smirked from the drivers seat. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the busy main road. Louis watched as they passed little shops and homes. Soon, they pulled up to a bulk store. Edward parked in front and looked over at Louis. "Let's go, princess." 

 

Louis grumbled as he hopped down from the truck. By the time he'd shut the truck door, Edward was halfway to the building. It made Louis angry. He walked quickly to catch up with the alpha. When he was close enough, he reached out and snagged Edward's sleeve, halting the alpha. 

 

"You can't do that," He said defensively. "You need to wait for me." 

 

Edward smirked down at him. "Is that so? And why should I wait for you?" 

 

"Because you promised my parents to protect me and you can't do that if I've been kidnapped and gang raped by a group of alphas, can you?" 

 

Edward's eyes narrowed and he stepped closer to the omega. "In order to do that," He said through his teeth. "They would have to get through me. And darling," He leaned down. "I don't fight fair." 

 

Louis shivered at his words. So maybe Edward really was protective of him. Maybe he'd underestimated the alpha. Who knows, but what he said made Louis' heart flutter a bit. He liked being taken care of, and it warmed his little soul. 

 

Edward jerked a cart out of the corral and waved his hand once. "Let's go." He snapped. Louis frowned. "We don't have all day." 

 

He sighed and followed Edward, who paused suddenly in the middle of an aisle. "Why am I pushing this? I'm not the omega here." He stepped aside and smiled at Louis. "Princess, would you like to try?" 

 

Louis sighed and took over. Maybe he was completely wrong earlier. Edward was an asshole and would probably always be an asshole. Well, two could play at that game. He stopped when he saw animal crackers on the shelf. He grabbed the box of them, which contained more than enough animal crackers for  _ten_ people, let alone three, and dropped it into the cart. 

 

He grinned up at Edward. "I was told to get whatever pleases me." 

 

Edward glanced down at the crackers. He raised an eyebrow. "Animal crackers please you?" 

 

Louis nodded happily and began pushing the cart again. "More than any alpha ever could." He should have known what would happen next, as it was becoming a habit of the brothers. He was pushed against the shelf of boxed rice and Edward towered over him. 

 

"Was that a challenge?" Edward asked, placing a wet kiss right on his jugular. Edward felt his pulse jump. It was right over one of the main bonding spots, and he had to fight his canines to stay put. "Do you want me to prove you wrong?" 

 

Louis was strong, but unfortunately, his omega wasn't, and he let out a little whine which was sure to attract the attention of many other alpha males. Edward growled lowly and snapped his gaze up. "You'd be wise not to make that pretty little noise again. Or else I'll  _have_ to go and mate you to keep all these other alphas away." He warned before stepping back. He smirked when he saw how affected Louis was. "Let's go, little one." He clapped his hands. "So much to do, so little time." 

 

Louis stepped away from the shelf and tried to regain control of his breathing. When he was himself again, he groaned to himself and turned around to grab a bulk box of rice. He dropped it into the cart with a satisfied bang and pushed the cart away from Edward, who was grinning like a madman and watching his bottom with every step. 

 

-

 

By the time they had packed away the two-thousand dollars worth of groceries and clothing they'd purchased and picked up Harry and Marcel, night was falling and their stomachs were rumbling. Marcel pulled over to a little diner and they all trudged in, the tiredness evident on their faces. They were seated quickly and menus were passed around. They all ordered ice water and looked over their menus. 

 

"Maybe just a sandwich," Marcel said to himself. Harry nodded in agreement, chewing on his lip. Edward was looking at the dinners, and Louis' mouth was watering over the burgers. 

 

"What can I getch'yall?" The waitress asked, pen poised above her notepad. 

 

"I just want the turkey platter." Edward said, closing his menu. 

 

"The triple play platter." Harry told her. 

 

"I want the chicken and avocado sandwich. Grilled." Marcel said. 

 

"And I want the...western barbecue burger, please." Louis smiled up at her. She took the menus and went on her way. When she was gone, Louis sighed and looked around the table. "Is everyone tired?" 

 

Marcel nodded, and Harry and Edward decided that was answer enough, because they ignored his question. "Very." Marcel answered. "Long day. Did you and Edward have fun?" 

 

Louis shrugged and balled up his straw wrapper. "Sure thing." He said. He nudged Edward, who was glaring down at the table. "We should do it again sometime."  _Kill him with kindness_. 

 

Edward glared at him. "We shouldn't." 

 

Harry glared at everyone and rubbed at his temples. "Can we shut up until the food is here?" Everyone knew that he didn't have a headache because ailments like that didn't ever affect alphas. But, no one wanted to get into an argument so they sat in silence until their food arrived fifteen minutes later. Louis squealed and clapped his hands when his plate was sat in front of him. He dug right in. 

 

Marcel stared at him fondly for a few seconds, which was caught by Edward and Harry. Before Louis had ever came into their lives, they made a promise not to make this business arrangement a permanent thing. They were doing it to help a family and get some housework done. They couldn't have Marcel falling in love. 

 

Louis chewed his food happily with chipmunk cheeks, looking at everyone's plates. He leaned over to Edward. "That looks good." He said, kicking his feet back and forth. Edward looked up at him. 

 

"Thanks." He said gruffly before returning to his food. Louis shrugged and they all ate in silence. None of them could really talk when their mouths were full, and they were done quick enough. Harry dropped a tip on the table while Edward went to pay. When Edward was done, they headed back out to the truck and hopped in. Marcel cranked the heat up and they all settled in for the four and a half hour drive back to their cabin. 

 

-

 

By the time they reached the cabin, Marcel could barely keep his eyes open and the other three were fast asleep. Louis had his head in Edward's lap and Edward's hand was on his stomach. Harry was leaning his head on Edward's shoulder and had  _his_ hand on Louis' stomach. Marcel stopped the truck and shook Harry awake. Harry blinked his eyes open and yawned. 

 

"Are we home?" He asked. Marcel rubbed Harry's thigh and nodded. 

 

"Yeah. Wake Edward up." He said, opening the truck door. He began to pull the groceries out and carry them in. Harry looked down at Louis and nudged Edward awake. When both alphas were aware of their situation, neither made the move to take their hands away. Louis looked so peaceful sleeping, and they didn't want to stop touching him. 

 

"Guys, come on!" Marcel called. "I need help." 

 

Harry looked over at Edward. "I want to carry him." 

 

Edward shook his head. "No, I'm carrying him. His head is on my lap." 

 

Harry whined. "No, Ed. Please, can I do it?" He was  _aching_ to feel the omega's body on his. But Edward shook his head no. 

 

"He doesn't like you very much." Edward reminded him, opening the truck door. 

 

Harry looked affronted. "He doesn't like you either!" 

 

"Guys!" Marcel appeared at the truck door. "Seriously. If a bear or something else smells this food,  _you're_ fighting it off while  _I_ carry Louis inside." That seemed to stop the argument and Harry climbed out of the drivers side and lifted up some grocery bags. Edward unbuckled himself and Louis before lifting the omega onto his lap. Louis shifted and sighed, his warm breath hitting Edward's neck. 

 

Edward resisted marking the skin up and stepped out of the truck. He shut the door and headed into the house. He had one hand on Louis' ass and he wanted to squeeze it so badly, but if Louis chose that time to wake up, he'd have a hell of a time explaining it. By the time he reached the living room, Harry and Marcel came in and flopped down on the plush carpet in front of the fireplace. 

 

"I'm not moving." Marcel said before actually falling asleep right there. Harry nodded and closed his own eyes, using his bicep as a pillow. Edward looked around, hoping that the groceries were put away, before laying Louis down and doing the same. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: i love writing about breakfast food but i hate everything but bacon
> 
> I feel like Marcel is always the underdog in styles triplets so im trying to write him as like #1 in this fic. is that just me that feels that way? 
> 
> im on twitter @therealhappily
> 
> affect or effect which one it is?????? lmao
> 
> bout to zayn right out of this fandom yall lmao


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: mentions of infidelity NOT involving louis

Marcel was the first to wake the next morning. He rolled over and his body collided with Harry's, who let out a grunt and circled his arm around Marcel's waist. Marcel lifted his head and looked around. He'd forgotten they had fallen asleep in front of the fireplace, and the only person bundled up in an array of blankets was Louis. The omega was also the only one to have a pillow. He rubbed his eyes and stood up, listening to Harry's arm thump against the ground. 

 

He made his way to the kitchen and flicked the Kuerig on. He yawned into his hand as he listened to it drip. He wasn't standing there long before Harry stumbled in, running his fingers through his hair. 

 

"Time'sit?" He asked, slumping against Marcel. 

 

Marcel looked behind him at the clock on the stove. "A little past seven." He replied, rubbing Harry's arm. Harry made a satisfied noise and shifted so that he was rutting against his baby brother. Marcel would be lying if he were to say he wasn't aroused. 

 

"Can I fuck you?" Harry asked quietly, sealing his lips over Marcel's throat. He used his thumbs to pull Marcel's briefs down. Marcel grabbed his wrist and shook his head. Harry whined when he tried to reach for Marcel's cock and couldn't. 

 

"Not with them in the other room." Marcel explained. "Don't want Louis to wander in and see." 

 

Harry reached forward again and the tips of his fingers brushed over Marcel's pubic hair. "Please?" He asked again. "Haven't fucked you in so long.  _So_ long." He sounded mournful. 

 

"That's because Edward won't let you." Marcel reminded him. When they were children, not yet presented, Marcel was always the weaker one. He had respiratory problems, as did Harry, but Harry quickly grew out of it. Marcel wasn't so lucky, and he stayed that way until they presented. That's also when he shot up and matched his brothers in height and strength. Still, Edward was protective of Marcel and would only fuck Harry. It was difficult, at first, because an alphas body wasn't meant to take a knot, but Harry was used to it and he wanted to knot Marcel.

 

"Baby brother," Harry pleaded, sucking on Marcel's lower lip. "Please let me fuck you."  He shook Marcel's hand off of his wrist and finished pushing Marcel's briefs down until they pooled at his feet. He wrapped his arm around Marcel's waist and dipped his fingers into the crease of his brother's bum. His fingers teased Marcel's untainted hole and he felt his brother tense against him. "I'll make it good."

 

Still, Marcel shook his head and pushed Harry away with two fingers to the chest. Harry pouted until Marcel dropped to his knees. He grasped Harry's thighs and looked up at his brother. "I hope this will suffice." He whispered before mouthing at Harry's clothed cock. He assumed by the noises Harry was making, it was indeed sufficing.

 

-

 

After they'd both came into each others mouths, they poured some coffee and headed back into the living room. Louis and Edward were still sleeping, and they sat on the couch and grinned at the pair on the floor. The position they were in must have been extremely uncomfortable for both. Louis was on his side, using Edward's bicep as a pillow, the actual pillow discarded. He had Edward practically on top of him, face buried in his neck, and leg in between his own. Edward's hand was wrapped tightly around his waist and they were both sleeping heavily.

 

Until Louis shifted and pushed at Edward. "Y'smotherin' me." He grumbled, trying to move away from the furnace that was Edward. He got as far as moving his torso forward before Edward scooped him back in.

 

"Stop moving." Edward demanded gruffly, barely conscious. They heard both Louis and Edward sigh happily when neither one moved again, and Marcel looked at Harry, raising his eyebrows. 

 

"For hating each other, they sure do look comfortable." He whispered, dropping his head onto Harry's shoulder. 

 

"My question is how did Louis get completely covered up when none of us did?" Harry wondered. 

 

Marcel shrugged. "I think I remember getting up in the middle of the night and covering him up. But I only grabbed one blanket." 

 

Harry nodded slowly. "Now that I think about it, I think I got up to get a blanket as well. It was maybe a few hours after we'd fallen asleep, and his shivering woke me. But that still doesn't explain how he got the blanket off of our bed. I didn't go upstairs."

 

Marcel shook his head. "Nor did I." 

 

"Must've been Edward." Harry thought. An alpha couldn't sleep near an omega without making sure the omega was as comfortable as possible. It was clear that when Louis got cold, each of them woke at separate times to cover him up. It was their nature to provide warmth and safety to their omega. The problem, though, was that Louis wasn't their omega. 

 

Marcel sipped his coffee. "Wonder when they'll wake up?" 

 

Harry sighed. "Who knows? I know when I'm wrapped up with an omega, I can literally sleep all day." 

 

"I told you not to say things like that around me." Marcel grunted unhappily. When the three had first began their union, deciding to all be in a relationship together and to share an omega, Harry had a bit of a promiscuous time. He wasn't exactly the most faithful to his brothers, and he often slept around. When Edward found out that Harry had been bringing them back into the bed they shared as a threesome, he beat Harry unconscious and burned their bed. It was then that he decided to move them off of the grid and live in the middle of nowhere.

 

Harry bit his lip and wrapped his arm around Marcel. He kissed the side of his brothers face. "I'm sorry, babe." He apologized. He hated bringing it up, but sometimes it slipped out. He'd never forget how his brothers reacted. Marcel cried for days and locked himself in a room. Edward beat him half to death and moved them as far away as he could. It took him about a year to regain their trust. When he was allowed back into their bed, he was the most grateful that he'd ever been.  

 

On the floor, Edward stirred and blinked his eyes open. He looked up at his brothers, who were sitting on the couch, grinning down at him, and he groaned. "Please tell me that I'm not doing what I think I'm doing." He asked, closing his eyes. 

 

"Oh, you are." Harry said, laughing. 

 

Edward took a deep breath and instantly got a nose full of Louis' sweet smell. He tried to unwrap himself from Louis, but the omega had a death grip onto him. He sighed and looked to his brothers for help. "He won't let go." 

 

Marcel shrugged. "Guess you'll just have to lay there until he wakes up." He chuckled. 

 

Edward groaned loudly and it stirred Louis. He held his breath and waited, watching the omega. Louis stretched out and made a little squeaking noise before rolling over onto his side. He curled up facing Edward, and the alpha quickly scrambled away, free from his clutches. 

 

"That was some ninja shit." Harry commented, toasting to Edward with his half full coffee mug.

 

Edward rolled his eyes and stalked off to the kitchen. "Fuck off." They heard him mutter. Their laughter died down and Marcel and Harry sighed and looked down at Louis. When Edward came back, holding his own mug, he sat down on the couch next to Marcel.

 

"The kitchen smells like your come." He said, taking a sip. Marcel made an affronted noise and Harry barked out a laugh. 

 

He raised his hand. "Guilty." 

 

Edward raised his eyebrows. "You didn't fuck him, did you Harry?" He asked, wrapping his hand around Marcel's thigh. "I told you not to do that." 

 

"He didn't." Marcel answered for his brother, who was still laughing. "We just got each other off. Although, he  _wanted_ to fuck me. He was begging for it. I'm assuming he hasn't had a proper lay in awhile?"

 

Edward rolled his eyes. "I fuck him whenever he asks for it." He answered. 

 

"Speaking of," Harry said, taking a few deep breaths. "Does anyone else just want to bury themselves into that little body right there?" He pointed to Louis, who was sleeping comfortably. 

 

Marcel nodded. "Definitely." 

 

Edward shrugged. "If I could stand him. And if it were no strings attached." He admitted. 

 

"With your luck, Edward, you'd knock him up without even entering him first." Harry snorted. 

 

Edward shot him a look. "That's not funny." 

 

"No, I'm completely serious." Harry said, eyes sincere. "Just  _look_ at him. His body screams fertility." Harry sighed. "I bet he produces top notch pups." 

 

"No." Edward growled fiercely. "Stop thinking about that right now. He's here for one purpose and one purpose only. To  _serve us_. He cooks for us, he cleans for us, he does whatever we ask and that is it. We have our rut on a schedule and we've got omegas for that purpose." He thundered. 

 

On the floor, Louis let out the tiniest of whimpers and opened his eyes slowly. The hefty timbre in Edward's alpha voice startled him awake. Edward swiveled around and looked down at the scared omega. 

 

"Sorry, princess." He apologized quickly and softly. When he realized what he'd done, his spine stood rigid and he glared at Harry and Marcel, who were smiling. "Shut the fuck up and remember what I said." He snapped before storming out of the house. When the door slammed, Louis flinched. 

 

"What time is it?" He asked quietly, rubbing his eyes. He sat up and yawned. He blinked his eyes a few times. "Is there any coffee?" Immediately, Harry and Marcel both thrust out their mugs to the omega. Louis giggled and stood up. "One with cream and sugar?" Marcel smirked and handed his forward. Harry cursed at his plain black coffee. "Why did Edward leave?" 

 

"Oh," Marcel wracked his brain. "He uh, he wanted to start early on the survival shelter." 

 

"What's that?" Louis asked, taking a few sips. "Can you show me?" 

 

Both alphas nodded and stood up. "There are two access points. One through the kitchen and one outside. The one outside is always locked, just inside some rogue wolf tries to get in. The one in the kitchen isn't." Marcel explained.

 

Louis nodded and followed Harry into the kitchen. "What's it for though?" He asked. 

 

Harry opened a hidden door and flicked on the light. They began to walk down the steps. Louis shivered when he felt the draft of cold air. "It's for weather emergencies, mainly. Watch your step." Louis' bare feet curled up when he reached the cold concrete of the shelter. It was really just a large room, with a staircase leading up to the outside entrance, which was open. Edward was hauling the lumber down. 

 

Louis turned to Harry. "I'm confused." He said. "Why do you need lumber down here?" 

 

"We're making the walls thicker. Edward's already put a layer of insulation, and now we just have to make them thicker. Won't be as cold in here with that done. But basically, like I said, it's for weather emergencies. Severe snow, hurricane, anything." 

 

Louis peered around him. There was a small bathroom off to the side, and there were shelves scattered around, stacked with books. There was a table sat up in the middle with four chairs around it. He pointed to a tall dresser. "What's that?" He asked. 

 

"That's got our supplies in it." Marcel explained. "Extra clothes, first aid kits, the works." 

 

Louis nodded. "Oh. Makes sense." 

 

Edward interrupted them, storming down from outside, carrying some more lumber. He glared at Louis when he saw him. "When you're done being lazy and neglecting your job here, I'd like something to eat." 

 

Louis fish mouthed for a few seconds before nodding. "Sure, sorry." He headed back upstairs quickly. When he was gone, Marcel glared at Edward. 

 

"Don't get mad at him because you cuddled in your sleep." He snapped at his older brother. "He didn't force you to." 

 

Edward rolled his eyes. "And if  _you're_ done defending him, I need help. I wasn't kidding when I said that winter will be here before we know it. When I said that, I meant within the next three days." 

 

Marcel just sighed and nodded. There was no use in arguing with Edward when he was like this. 

 

-

 

When Louis was all done cleaning up from breakfast, he made his way outside and into the greenhouse. He was surprised to find that it was rather large and very well detailed. There were things that he'd never seen in a greenhouse before. There was a patch specifically for the tall stalks of corn, and there were many different types of vegetables, all ripe for the picking. 

 

He found a basket near the door and began to do as he was told. He lost himself in the smell of the fresh herbs and he enjoyed having this time to himself. He didn't have to worry about glares from Edward and now Harry, who sent him spiteful looks as he served them breakfast. He didn't have to worry about Marcel defending him. He could just be himself without having to worry about scrutiny. 

 

He was on his knees, pulling tomatoes off the vine, when the greenhouse door opened and closed. He looked up and saw Harry advancing towards him. He stood up just in time to have Harry crash into him and wrap his large hands around his throat. He opened his mouth and let out a breathy moan. He saw the color in Harry's eyes change and the look of lust that crossed the alphas face. 

 

He barely had time to take a breath before Harry was licking into his mouth, backing him into the wall. Louis kissed back, shoving his hands up Harry's back only to drag his nails down the soft skin. Harry grunted and bit down on Louis' lower lip. Harry kept one hand on Louis' throat and moved the other to his backside, grabbing a handful of his ass. The alpha groaned and thrust his hips forward. 

 

Louis whimpered when he felt Harry's large cock rutting against his hip. He let his head fall back and sighed happily when Harry's teeth bit into his throat. Just as he was beginning to welcome Harry's advances, the alphas markings on him, he pushed Harry away. The alpha was caught off guard and actually stumbled. The growl he emitted had enough force to shake the walls of the greenhouse. 

 

Louis reached forward to apologize, but his hand was slapped away. "Harry, I can't," He tried to explain. 

 

"Save it," Harry loomed over him. Louis cowered back. "You should be thankful that I would even consider touching you." 

 

"Harry - " 

 

"I said  _save it_. I am the superior one here. Not you. You're weak and pathetic and and I don't know  _why_ Marcel likes you." He stepped forward and glared down at Louis menacingly. "If it were up to me, you'd be gone already." 

 

What Harry said hurt, because Louis had only been there for two days. Was he already that unwelcome? He reached forward again, and made contact with Harry's arm, but that must have triggered Harry's anger, because the next thing he knew, he was crashing into the table next to them, upsetting it and a few clay pots. He laid amidst the dirt and broken clay, clutching his arm to his chest, which was bleeding, having been sliced open. He had a cut on his forehead and he began to shake. He was honest-to-God  _afraid_ of Harry. He didn't feel safe around the alpha, and he was terrified of what Harry might do to him. 

 

"Fuck," He heard Harry whisper. The door to the greenhouse banged open and Edward and Marcel ran in. 

 

"What happened?" Marcel asked, immediately zeroing in on the bloody omega. He ignored the broken clay and headed straight for Louis. Edward took one look at the scene and hauled Harry out by the back of his neck. The last thing Harry heard as they left the greenhouse was a broken sob. 

 

-

 

"You hit an omega." Edward stared Harry directly in the eye. "You  _hit_ an  _omega_." He repeated. 

 

"Technically, I didn't hit him." Harry corrected, unafraid of his triplet. 

 

Edward fumed at him. "Let me rephrase then. You threw an omega down onto the ground and  _injured_ him. He will have a scar because of you. His clean, unmarred skin, will have a scar. Not only that, his mind will keep that memory of you forever. Nothing you do now will erase what you did a few hours ago. Do you understand me?" 

 

Harry sighed and sat down on their bed. "You don't even like him. You hate him just as much as I do. Why are you defending him?" 

 

"Because clearly he can't defend himself!" Edward exploded. "Harry, Jesus Christ, he's five foot eight and weighs maybe a hundred and twenty pounds. You're six four and you weigh a lot more than that. Biologically you're stronger. You're bigger. You are meant to protect those who can't protect themselves. You know that." 

 

"Yeah, well maybe I'm just frustrated of having him here." Harry stood up, crossing his arms. 

 

"What were you doing in the greenhouse?" Edward asked, stepping forward. He matched Harry's impassive gaze. "What were you doing?" 

 

"It's none of your goddamn business." Harry fired back. He pushed Edward away from him and Edward laughed coldly. 

 

"Oh, so you're going to push me around now too?" He asked, shoving Harry back. "You're going to get physical with  _me_? That's rich, baby brother. Go ahead," He held his arms out. "Give me your worst. Just know that after you're done, I can beat the shit out of you, unlike Louis." 

 

"God, Edward, sometimes I wish I could just  _kill_ you -" Harry growled, gearing up to hit Edward. Their bedroom door opened, and both brothers looked towards it. It was just Marcel sneaking in. Edward abandoned his ideas of throttling Harry and walked over to their youngest triplet. 

 

"How is he?" Edward asked. 

 

Marcel sighed and laid down on the bed. "He's fine. He hit his head on the edge of the table, that's why his forehead was cut. His arm is fine, too. The cut was a little deeper than I had hoped, but he doesn't need stitches. He just needs to be alone." 

 

"Or with his girlfriend Marcel." Harry mumbled, kicking at the ground. 

 

Marcel narrowed his eyes at Harry. "So compassion makes me a girl now?" He asked, sitting up. 

 

"It sure as shit does." Harry growled back. "Stop coddling him." 

 

"Then stop hurting him, Harry. Is that all you know how to do?"

 

Harry stepped forward and Edward had to knock him back with his shoulder. "As a matter of fact, it is. Would you like a first hand experience?" 

 

"Knock it off!" Edward roared, pushing Harry back. "Leave," 

 

Harry's gaze snapped over to Edward. "No." He said defiantly. 

 

Edward stepped as close to Harry as he could. When their noses were touching, he let out a low growl. "You will leave right now. I don't care where you do, and I don't care what you do. But you  _will_ leave and you will  _not_ come back until you lose this attitude." 

 

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but after looking back and forth at both brothers, he shook his head and turned on his heel. "Fuck it." He said to himself, sprinting down the stairs and out of the door. The wind tried to rip him sideways as he tugged off his clothes and shifted. He didn't even feel the burn from his bones grinding or the snapping of his ligaments. He just felt the pure exhilaration and freedom as he changed into his true form. 

 

-

 

Louis was asleep each time Marcel and Edward checked up on him. Well, Edward hovered in the doorway while Marcel checked his bandages and made sure that warm air was coming out of the newly opened vents. He made sure to tuck Louis in tight and sweep the hair away from his forehead before leaving each time. Edward was amazed at how taken his brother was with the omega. They'd never acted like this before around one. It was always hard fucks and quick goodbyes. 

 

But Louis was different, he could tell. And although he didn't like the omega or trust him quite yet, there was something about him that Edward was growing to like. Whether it be his exceptional cooking skills or his dazzling smile, Edward didn't know. He just knew that he liked it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come or cum??? i hate cum so i use come lol


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> minor time jumps
> 
> so this was short and i apologize
> 
> also no smut thats later ;)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Two weeks later, not much had changed. Louis avoided Harry like the plague and he was wary of Edward. He mainly only talked to Marcel, but more often than not, he distanced himself from the brothers. Every so often, he'd overhear Edward screaming at his brothers, reminding them that it was a business arrangement and  _nothing more_. He would yell at Marcel to get his head out of his ass and to stop hanging around the omega. It had all hurt Louis' feelings, because he was growing to like Marcel. 

 

And maybe Edward. 

 

His was still iffy on Edward, but all the avoidance from the eldest triplet gave him more time to sit back and watch how he interacted and ruled the nest, so to speak. Edward was brave and assertive, and caring, but only under certain circumstances. He never showed any weakness and worked hard to make the cabin suitable for year-round living. He cared for his brothers in a way that Louis had never seen before. Sure, he'd seen a lot of cases where alphas would double or triple, even  _quadruple_ up and take an omega. This was nothing new, but the alphas in normal pairings didn't grow up together. They didn't know every little thing about each other like these ones did. 

 

He was amazed at how the three seemed to still love each other after time. He would bet that most wouldn't. And he was surprised that they didn't already have a slew of omegas at their feet. But then again, if they did, Louis wouldn't be here. He'd still be in their small, two bedroom house with the creaking floors and the peeling wallpaper. He should be thankful to the brothers for giving his parents a second chance, but he couldn't bring himself to be happy when he felt miserable. 

 

-

 

Louis was sitting on the couch, flipping through a magazine, when Harry burst through the door. Ever since Edward had demanded he leave, Harry had been in and out. He would be gone for days at a time before returning, smelling like the booze that never affected him. He scuffed his muddy shoes on the carpet a few times, looking Louis straight in the eye, before taking them off. 

 

"Clean it up." He snarled at Louis before heading to the kitchen, most likely planning to mess that up too. Louis sighed and put the magazine down. He put Harry's boots on the porch, where they were  _supposed_ to go, and began to clean up the mess. He was almost done when Harry came back in and flopped down onto the couch. Louis ignored him and finished getting the mud off of the carpet. When he was done, he went straight to the kitchen to make sure Harry hadn't messed anything up. 

 

Surprisingly, he hadn't. Louis washed his hands in the sink and looked at the clock. It was almost dinner time, and Marcel and Edward had been down in the survival room, finishing it up. He was eager to see the finished project. He knew that both men had been working very hard on it. He began to wander over to the door, wanting to go down and keep the alphas company, but something made him change his course to the living room instead. 

 

He expected to see Harry aimlessly flipping through their television channels, which was still amazing to Louis that they got any type of service or wifi or connection out here. He didn't question it though, because he liked it. But Harry wasn't. No, the alpha was fast asleep on the couch, snoring softly. He was curled up on one side, holding a pillow between his arms. 

 

Louis sighed and covered him up. It was hard to hate Harry when he was sleeping so softly and looked so cute. When he got Harry tucked in, he pushed the tangle of curls away from Harry's face and sighed. 

 

"You know," A voice said from behind him. Louis jumped, startled. He turned and saw Marcel standing in the doorway. "He's not that bad of a person." 

 

"You startled me." Louis said, walking over to the alpha. He looked back at Harry once he was in front of Marcel. "And I'm not so sure about that." 

 

Marcel tugged Louis closer. "Trust me. He had his days, but he's never like he is now." 

 

Louis wrapped his arms around himself, beginning to grow chilly, and he stared at Marcel. "Why do you think he hates me?" He asked in a small voice. "I mean, I don't think I've done anything to upset him." 

 

"Hey, it's not you." Marcel soothed. "My guess is that he's probably not used to having an omega around, and especially not one like you." 

 

Louis frowned. "What do you mean?" 

 

"You challenge him. Well, you challenge all of us, but mostly him. You confuse him and he's never had an omega do that. He's used to them falling at his feet to worship him. You don't put up with him." Marcel explained. "He's used to being adored. You don't do that." 

 

"Because he's not four years old." Louis snorted. He looked back at Harry one more time. "What do you think I should do?" 

 

"Ignore him." Marcel suggested. "When he wants forgiveness and affection, he'll come to you." 

 

-

 

The next morning, Louis woke just as the sun was rising. He laid in bed a few moments before getting up, listening for any movement from the alphas. When he didn't hear anything, he trudged downstairs and into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and began to pull out some food. He set about gathering ingredients from the pantry and began to cook breakfast. He was making biscuits and gravy, and frying up some sausage and eggs, too. These boys could eat, there was no doubt about that. 

 

He busied himself making everything, and about thirty minutes later, the food was done. The alphas hadn't come downstairs yet, even though it was nearing seven in the morning, so he shrugged and made himself a plate. Just as he was about to sit down and eat, something caught his eye. He wandered over to the window and looked outside. It was snowing! Big, fat, fluffy flakes were rapidly falling, and the ground was already coated. 

 

He squealed happily and tried to eat his breakfast as quickly as he could. He wanted to go out and play in it. Unfortunately, fate must have had other plans, because no sooner than he'd taken his first bite, all three alphas walked into the kitchen. 

 

"Slow down," Marcel said, walking over to the Keurig. Edward wandered over to the stove, inhaling, and Harry grabbed three plates down from the cabinet. "You'll choke." 

 

Louis swallowed. "It's snowing!" He said happily. He expected a different response than the one he got. Edward walked over to the backdoor and muttered " _fuck_ ", Harry began grumbling under his breath, and Marcel shook his head back and forth. "What?" Louis asked, eyeing each brother. "Do you not like snow?" 

 

"No, we don't." Edward answered a little viciously. He stalked over to the stove and stared down at the food. He glared back up at Louis. "Well? Am I expected to make my own fucking plate?" 

 

Louis tried not to let himself react to Edward's harsh demeanor and slid from the stool. "Sorry," He apologized, putting enough food on a plate to satisfy the grumpy alpha. He did the same for Harry, and both brothers stalked to the dining room. Marcel stayed and ushered Louis back to his seat. 

 

"I'm a big boy," He said, making his own plate. "And unlike my brothers, I'm capable of taking care of myself." 

 

Louis giggled at that and waited until Marcel was sitting next to him before eating again. "I have to ask," Louis looked at the dining room door. "Have they always been like this?" 

 

"Like what?" Marcel asked, cutting a biscuit. "Practically helpless? Rude to omegas? Mean? Borderline abusive - " 

 

Marcel was cut off by something breaking loudly in the dining room. Both his and Louis' heads snapped towards the dining room. The door swung open and Harry stormed out, fuming. Louis could have sworn that he saw steam rising from the alphas ears. He watched as Harry threw the front door open and stripped his clothes, leaving them strewn out in the yard before shifting in to a beautiful wolf. 

 

Edward came out of the dining room and glared at Marcel. "Why did you say that?" He asked through clenched teeth. 

 

"Say what?" Marcel asked. "The truth?" 

 

"It's  _not_ true." Edward defended his brother. 

 

"It is!" Marcel shouted. It was the first time Louis had seen the alpha raise his voice. "What else is it called when an alpha uses his strength against an omega? Uses that strength to  _harm_ an omega?" 

 

Edward didn't answer, he just glared at Marcel. Then, his gaze shifted to Louis. "Clean up the mess Harry made." He stalked off, and Louis assumed that he would go after Harry, but instead, he went straight for the stairs. 

 

Marcel sighed once his brother was gone. He sat back down and stared at his plate. "I shouldn't have said that." 

 

"No," Louis agreed. "I don't consider what he did abuse, Marcel." Louis admitted. He wasn't prepared for the disappointing look he got from the alpha. So, he explained. "Yes, it hurt me physically and mentally, and I don't trust him at all, but I pushed him first. I think he was just stunned, and it was his natural reaction to push back. He looked so sorry when I fell." 

 

Marcel studied Louis' face. "I can't agree with you, but I understand." He finally said. He pushed himself away from the island and took his plate to the sink. "I'm not even hungry anymore." He admitted. 

 

Louis sighed. "I'm not either." He gathered up his own dishes and handed them to Marcel, who rinsed them off and sat them in the dishwasher. They stood in silence for the longest time, and it made Louis uncomfortable. Then, he got an idea. 

 

-

 

As Marcel took another snowball to the face, he was beginning to remember why he hated the snow. It was cold, and it melted on your skin uncomfortably, and you could just never find the right gear to wear out in it. It caused accidents and power outages and the layer of ice that always came with it was an unseen danger. But, he couldn't even get mad when he heard Louis' laughter filling the empty space around their cabin. 

 

Well, maybe he spoke too soon. When he slipped and fell flat on his back, only to get snow down the collar of his shirt, he was done. He stood up after laying there in a daze, and faced Louis. The omega was red-cheeked and gearing up with more snowballs. His face fell when Marcel shook his head. 

 

"You're going inside?" He asked, dropping the snowballs to the ground. It was so cold that they didn't even dent with the impact. 

 

"Louis, I hate the snow." Marcel said. "You know this. But I have to go inside. I have the body temperature of one hundred and four and I'm  _freezing_." 

 

Louis looked sad for three seconds before rolling his eyes and picking up a snowball. He hit Marcel square in the chest with it. "Fine, you big baby!" He said. "While you're inside being  _boring_ , I'm going to be having fun out here." 

 

"I would really like it if you would come inside with me," Marcel asked politely. "I would feel safer." 

 

Louis shrugged. "Watch me from the window. I'm not going inside until I build a snowman." As if to prove his point, Louis crouched down and began to shape a small ball. When he began rolling it, Marcel rolled his eyes and went inside, kicking his boots off on the porch. 

  
Edward, who was sitting on the couch, looked up. He patted the seat next to him and Marcel flopped down. "He's killing me." He groaned softly, burying his face into Edward's hard stomach. "I hate the snow." 

 

Edward patted Marcel's straight hair, cringing when his hand came away wet with melted snow. "I know, baby brother. You could have said no." He hummed. 

 

Marcel scoffed. "Have you seen his face? I would die a thousand deaths before I could ever tell him no." 

 

Edward just hummed. 

 

-

 

Just as Louis was putting the head on the snowman he spent an hour making, he heard breathing behind him. He froze. He would have heard Marcel or Edward come out of the house, and he likes to think that he would have heard a bear or something else approach. Was he really so invested in the snowman that he forgot to pay attention to his surroundings? Slowly, he turned around, trying not to make any sudden movements. He kept his eyes closed until he was sure that he was facing whatever was behind him. 

 

He opened his eyes. 

 

Standing in front of him was a wolf. Not just any wolf, but a large black one. With menacing gold eyes and a snarl that could stop traffic. He backed away slowly, and the wolf followed slowly, almost as if it were teasing him before pouncing. His eyes darted to the house.  _Where were Edward and Marcel? Could they seriously not sense another alpha on their property? Where the fuck was Harry?_  

 

He eyed the distance between him and the house. He was confident that if he made a break for it, he'd make it halfway before being ripped apart. So, not a good idea. Maybe he could scream? That would be his best option. He took a few deep breaths and continued backing up. It wasn't until his back hit the snowman that he realized that the wolf might not attack him at all. 

 

He decided to test that theory by breaking into a run. No sooner than he had, teeth were nipping at his jeans, tripping him. He landed face first in eight inches of snow and got onto his back as quickly as he could.  _That's_ when he screamed bloody murder. He hoped to God that Edward and Marcel would get outside in time to save him. He doesn't want them seeing his body being ripped limb from limb. 

 

Just as the wolf was atop him, a big brown blur knocked the wolf away. He heard snarling and he closed his eyes and laid perfectly still. If he couldn't see them, they couldn't see him. He heard the front door open, and Edward say ' _what the fuck_ ', but he didn't open his eyes. He kept them pinched tight when he felt a big wet nose on his cheek. He let out a whimper when there was hot breath on his face. And then...

 

Licking. A big, warm, wet tongue was licking across his cheek soothingly. He opened his eyes slowly and saw the brown wolf standing over him, licking his face. The wolf's nose nudged his head to the side, and to the other side, most likely checking for injury. It wasn't until he saw the bright green eyes that he realized it was Harry.  _Harry,_ the alpha who was hot and cold and pretty mean to him was  _licking_ his face. Licking could mean a number of things; Harry could be licking to heal any unseen injuries on him, or he could be licking as a form of communication, asking if Louis was alright. Either way, it was soothing, and he didn't mind it at all. He felt...at ease with Harry like this. He felt protected. 

 

"What the fuck?" An unrecognizable voice said from Louis' left. Harry ignored the voice and kept licking Louis and nosing along his stomach and thighs. But Louis was curious, and he sat up, planting his hands in the freezing cold snow. There was a tall male standing there, wearing nothing. Edward was grinning and tossing him some sweatpants. Louis was confused. 

 

"Liam, you fucker!" Edward was clapping Liam on the back. Marcel was shaking his head and making his way down the steps. Harry was completely oblivious to everything around him and pawed at Louis' chest, trying to make him lay down again. 

 

"Harry, you can change back now." Marcel said to his brother. "He's fine." 

 

Harry cocked his head and his tongue flopped out the side of his mouth. At that instant, Louis was in love. Harry looked so adorable and unlike the mean, hard-shelled alpha that inflicted pain onto him. Louis reached out and threaded his fingers into Harry's fur. 

 

"He's fine," He said to Marcel. "He just wanted to make sure I was okay." 

 

Harry whined, which he was probably agreeing with Louis, and Louis leaned forward and began to rub up and down Harry's neck affectionately. Harry sat on his haunches and accepted the love. Neither of them were aware of the three other alphas staring at them, nor would they care. 

 

"I can't even believe it," Liam said, crossing his arms over his bare chest. Beside him, Edward was shaking his head in agreement. "Is that really your brother? Harry Styles? I don't think so." 

 

"I think I'll stand up now." Louis said to Harry's wolf. "I really can't feel anything anymore." When he said that, all three alphas, including the one who tried to attack him, or Liam, and Harry, rushed to his aid. There were perks of being an omega, he guessed. Marcel helped him up the stairs and into the house, while Edward sifted through the clean laundry and pulled out a pair of his sweats and Harry's favorite purple sweater, and Harry shifted. Liam stood there awkwardly until he went to go make something warm for Louis to drink. 

 

Marcel followed Louis to the bathroom and hovered around the outside while Louis stripped and changed. When he came back out, his teeth were chattering and he was hugging himself for warmth. He was ushered to the living room, where he was made to lay in front of the fireplace. Liam had so thoughtfully laid some fuzzy blankets down. Louis thought it was a nice apology for almost eating him earlier. 

 

Just as he settled down, a big body enveloped his. Without even turning, he could it was Harry. Strictly by the scent he had, and also by the way the back of his neck was nuzzled. Harry was bare chested, and Louis had absolutely no problem in indulging in the warm skin of the alpha. He stretched out on his side and felt Harry mold himself against his own body. 

 

"Seriously?" Edward asked, coming in. He locked the door and made his way over to the couch. Marcel was sitting there, sipping his own mug of hot chocolate. He rolled his eyes at Harry and curled up next to Marcel, taking a sip when Marcel offered. 

 

Harry didn't offer an answer, he just further wrapped his body around Louis' and was content to lay there and keep the omega warm. Louis didn't mean to let out a sigh of contentment, but he did, and that was music to Harry's wolf's ears. It was like being praised in the highest sense. The omega in his presence was  _happy_ because of him. He felt like he was on Cloud 9. 

 

-

 

It was sort of nice, Louis thought, being sort of helpless. He was still chilled to the bone when dinner time rolled around, and of course, Harry was still strapped to him. Marcel and Liam offered to make dinner, and Edward agreed that they should. He, however, stayed on the couch, watching the two on the floor. The fire was dimming down a bit, so he stood to put more wood in. As he was stoking it, he felt something tap his ankle. When he looked down, Louis was blinking up at him. 

 

"Can you lay with me?" He asked, batting his eyelashes. Behind him, Edward saw, Harry was fast asleep. Dead to the world, snoring softly. Edward shook his head.

 

"I don't think so." He declined, stepping away from the fire. He made sure the gate was secure across it. 

 

"Please?" Louis asked, quieter this time. "My front is cold." The pout on him was  _unreal_ , Edward decided, and he hesitated, looking towards the kitchen, before dropping to the ground in front of Louis. The omega cheered quietly and lifted the blankets so that Edward could scoot under them. 

 

"Just try not to latch onto me." Edward requested, laying on his back. He was stiff as a board, but it all slowly melted away when Louis wound his hand around his bicep and pressed his face right up against Edward's arm.  _Now_ he could go to sleep. He was warm on both sides. 

 

Edward was still laying on his back, staring at the ceiling, hands clasped over his stomach, when Marcel and Liam walked in about thirty minutes later. They were laughing and talking, but stopped abruptly when they saw the omega sandwich on the floor. 

 

"Hello." Edward said. "He's done it again." 

 

Marcel's eyes drifted over to where Louis was sleeping soundly. "Surely you don't mean he's holding you hostage with just a hand, brother?" He teased. "I mean, you're so much bigger than he is." 

 

"Yeah," Liam joined in. "He's not forcing you to do anything." 

 

Edward rolled his eyes and sighed. "Why do I bother with you people sometimes?" He asked himself. "The  _only_ reason I'm laying on this floor is because it's quite warm in this spot. Yes, there happens to be an omega next to me, and yes, he does indeed have his hand on my arm, but I can move at anytime." 

 

"Yeah?" Liam raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Move right now." 

 

Edward sighed. "Children." He muttered, but he stood up nonetheless. As soon as Louis' arm hit the floor with a soft thud and he was out of the omega's grip, Louis made a lost noise and reached out for him. Without missing a beat, Edward was back on his back, letting Louis' hand resume it's prior position. 

 

"Weak." Liam laughed out. 

 

Marcel let out a chuckle. "Well, we just came to tell you all that dinner was ready, but I guess that Goldilocks has trapped the two bears, so Liam and I will just eat on our own." He  _was_ a bit jealous that it wasn't him wrapped up with Louis, but his time would come, and it would be  _glorious_.

 

-

 

"I'm  _dyin'_ ," Louis muttered out later that night. He was still sleeping, and he was  _burning_ up. He tried shoving the alphas away and he kicked the blanket's off of himself. He rucked up the sweater and tried shoving his sweatpants off. A large hand circled his wrist and pulled it away. 

 

"Stop  _moving_ ," Harry rasped, eyes still closed. 

 

"Both of you, shut the fuck up," Edward mumbled. His face was half buried in the pillow, and he was in no mood for anyone's nonsense. 

 

"Can't," Louis moved away from Harry and tried to sit up. His sleepy brain wasn't working and his sleepy limbs weren't either. He pawed at his sweater a few more times before giving up. He flopped back down onto an unsuspecting alpha. Which one, he didn't know, until he heard Harry grumble a few curse words. A few seconds later, he had two arms drawing him to a large body. 

 

"Go t' sleep." Harry said roughly into Louis' ear. Harry's touch relaxed him, and he let himself succumb to sleep.  _Almost_. He was still hot. After a few minutes, he nudged Harry's chest a few times. "What?" Harry finally asked. 

 

"'m thirsty." He whined, curling up into Harry, making himself seem smaller than he was. 

 

"Right now?" Harry groaned. 

 

He nodded his head against Harry's chest. " _Please_." 

 

Behind him, Harry muttered something under his breath before pushing Louis off of him gently. He stood and made his way to the kitchen, grumbling the whole time. When Edward felt Louis' presence, he was quick to scoop him up. Louis loved being the center of attention for these two alphas. He just wished Marcel hadn't insisted on sleeping upstairs. Marcel would make them complete. 

 

Harry returned with a bottle of water. He sat down tiredly before handing it to Louis, making sure the omega had taken a few sips before dropping himself down onto the pillows. He wasn't exaggerating when he said that he could sleep for days with an omega. Sleeping next to an omega always made him tired for hours. And the fact that Louis' scent was so intoxicating was a plus. 

 

Louis finished the bottle and tossed it somewhere above his head. He pressed his cold hands against Edward's now-bare chest and laughed sleepily when the alpha jerked, trying to move himself away from the nuisance that was a sleepy Louis. Finally, after fucking with Harry a couple of times, he yawned loudly and closed his eyes. He really didn't think he was still so tired, but with how quickly sleep overtook him, it was safe to say that he was wrong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey i have an idea lets all get "pregnant" and then four days after giving birth lets all have flat stomachs and wear tight skinny jeans and shit
> 
>  
> 
> biscuits and gravy is love biscuits and gravy is life


	5. Chapter 5

Louis was in heaven. Actual, literal, heaven. He was sandwiched between two warm, sleeping bodies that were  _so_ much bigger than his. He could feel their warmth radiating towards him and the masculine scent that they carried flooded his nose every time he breathed in. It was early morning, and no one in the house was awake besides him. It gave him ample opportunity to memorize every freckle of Harry's face and every scar on Edward's body. 

 

He was tracing a particularly large, dark scar when Edward's hand circled his wrist. The alpha didn't even open his eyes. "What are you doing?" He asked, and his voice was cold and rough, so much different than he was the night before. 

 

Louis paused and blinked at Edward a few times. "Just...looking." He answered quietly. 

 

Edward threw Louis' wrist out of his grasp and sat up. The blankets pooled around his waist and he stood. "Well, don't." He growled menacingly. Louis' head was spinning at the zero to one hundred attitude change. "Don't touch me." 

 

He watched as the alpha stalked off upstairs. He had no idea what had just happened. One moment, they're lying in peace, tangled up in each other, and the next minute, Edward was back to his usual asshole self. He sighed and laid back down against Harry. He pulled the blankets up over himself and closed his eyes when Harry's arm pulled their bodies together. Maybe, if he slept a big longer, he'd forget all about Edward's weird behavior.

 

-

 

 

 The second time Louis woke, there was a dim light streaming through the window and he was alone on the floor. The fire had simmered down to nothing and he was shivering slightly. It took him a few seconds to realize that he'd had no use for the blankets when he had two warm alphas, and he'd tossed them aside. He sat up slowly and listened. He could hear everyone in the kitchen, so that's where he headed. 

 

Liam was standing at the stove, cooking eggs, and the three brothers were scattered around, all laughing at something Liam had said. Everyone looked up when he walked in. Liam offered him a smile. 

 

"I don't think we've met." Liam said, stretching his hand out. "I'm Liam. Or, the wolf that scared you yesterday." 

 

Louis shook the alphas warm hand and sat down. "I thought you were going to eat me." He said to the tall man. 

 

Liam tossed his head back and let out a loud laugh. "Oh, no. I'll leave that to these three." He winked at the brothers and Harry and Edward scowled and Marcel blushed. His feelings towards Louis were no secret. 

 

"Why didn't anyone wake me?" Louis asked. "I could have made breakfast." 

 

"We didn't want to wake you." Marcel sidled up behind Louis and patted his back. 

 

"No, Marcel didn't want to wake you." Edward said. "Harry and I had no problem in waking you. We were hungry." 

 

"Actually," Liam cut in, distributing some eggs onto toasted english muffins. " _I_ said to let you sleep. I haven't seen these boys in awhile and wanted the time with them. And they're fucking lazy, pardon my French. If they were hungry, they can cook for themselves." As to make a point, Liam sat down a full plate in front of Louis. "Eat up." 

 

Without hesitation, Louis dug in. He still had Marcel at his side, and when handed food, the alpha sat down next to him. Harry and Edward had to wait for theirs, and Louis thought they deserved too. 

 

"So," Marcel asked around a mouthful of food. "When's Sophia coming?" 

 

Liam beamed at the mention of his omega. "She and her friend should be coming soon. Hope you don't mind?" 

 

Edward shook his head and slathered some jam onto an english muffin. "Course not. The more, the merrier." 

 

"Who's Sophia?" Louis asked, looking towards Liam for the answer. 

 

"She's my mate." Liam said proudly. "Beautiful girl. I love her to death." 

 

Louis  _aw'd_ at Liam. "That's cute. How long have you two been together?" 

 

Liam thought for a few moments. "I think three years?" He shrugged. "It's hard to keep track when you're so in love." 

 

"Gag me." Harry said. 

 

"Grow up, Haz." Liam laughed, tossing a balled up paper towel at him. "You'll find love someday. Although, whoever loves you is probably nuts in the head." 

 

Louis giggled, but quickly stopped and turned to his plate when he saw the scathing look Harry shot him. He ate the rest of his food in silent confusion. Why were Harry and Edward acting so cold towards him? They'd just slept together last night. He was held by them individually and together. They'd held him tightly last night and snarled in their sleep when he tried to move away. 

 

So what was going on?

 

-

 

Sophia arrived shortly after lunch, and Liam spent a good five minutes hugging her to his chest. From his spot on the couch, Louis could hear her laughing quietly and the low murmur of Liam saying something in her ear. When they walked into the living room, Louis was stunned by how beautiful she was. They smiled at each other and shook hands. It wasn't until Sophia's friend came in that his smile dropped. 

 

It was a female, of course, and her name was Callie. She was beautiful too, and he could  _smell_ one of the alphas arousal at the new omega. From who, he didn't know. He was sitting beside the three brothers, and he couldn't pinpoint which one exactly. 

 

"Louis, get up." Harry demanded, grinning at the newest omega. She smiled back coyly. 

 

"No," Louis said. "There are plenty of seats." 

 

"Yes," Harry said through gritted teeth. "Go sit in one of them." 

 

He opened his mouth to protest, but Edward's large hand pressed against his back and shoved him until he got up. He masked his hurt and walked over to an armchair, fuming when Callie took his spot between Harry and Edward. He looked to Marcel for comfort, but his eyes were trained on Callie. He thought his heart might break at that. Marcel  _always_ looked at him like that. 

 

"So, Callie, how long have you and Sophia been friends?" Marcel asked, turning his body towards hers.

 

She tucked her hair behind an ear and smiled at him. "Since we were twelve. We actually didn't like each other at first." 

 

Sophia, who was sitting tucked under Liam's arm, burst out laughing. She pointed to Callie. "I remember that! She had taken the last sweater in my size at some boutique, and I followed her to the dressing rooms." 

 

Callie giggled, and all three brothers leaned closer. "She told me I looked bad in it." 

 

"You didn't though!" Sophia told everyone. "She actually looked better in it than I did, but I wasn't going to let her know. We argued for a bit, but traded numbers and made this psycho plan to trade the sweater every other week." 

 

"Did you?" Edward asked curiously. He was hanging onto every word. 

 

Callie nodded. "We did! I think I actually still have it somewhere." 

 

Sophia put her hand over her heart and Liam just smiled fondly. Louis wanted to gag and then kick Callie out. He couldn't believe the insane amount of attention she was already getting. He didn't have a good feeling about this.

 

-

 

Around dinnertime, Louis made his way to the kitchen. It was an unspoken rule around the house that the brothers liked to eat at seven sharp, and they got angry if he was a single minute late. As he entered the kitchen, he paused. Callie was standing at the stove, and everyone was gathered around her. Marcel was hanging close to her, which did nothing to help Louis' breaking heart. 

 

"Um." He said, and every pair of eyes landed on him. 

 

"Oh, Louis," Liam acknowledged. "Callie offered to make dinner. So I guess you're off the hook!"

 

Louis nodded slowly, waiting for Edward to tell him otherwise, or for Harry to look up, or for Marcel to offer to do something with him, but all three kept their eyes trained on Callie. So, he backed out of the kitchen and curled up on the window seat in the living room. He pulled a book out from the cabinet next to him and began to read it. He was on chapter eight when he heard Liam call for him. 

 

When he got into the kitchen, he expected everyone to be seated there, but they were all in the dining room. He could hear them laughing. Everyone had gotten their fill and left whatever for him. He stared at the stove, trying to make sense of what Callie made. It looked extravagant and she'd used up a lot of food. He grabbed a plate and he was just about to get something when he heard Harry say something that made his appetite go away. 

 

" _This is way better than what Louis ever makes._ " 

 

He slowly sat the plate down and steadied himself against the counter. It was one thing for another omega to come over, but another for said omega to come in and completely rearrange their daily lives. Louis had been pushed so far out of the way no one seemed to remember him anymore. 

 

" _Seriously,_ " Marcel said, and Louis' ears perked up. Maybe he would stand up for him? " _Can we trade you for him_?" 

 

His heart lodged in his throat and he left the kitchen in a hurry. He made his way up to his bedroom and closed the door, making sure to twist the lock. It would do nothing to keep out Harry or Edward or Marcel or whoever really wanted to get in, but it made him feel safer. He crawled up onto his bed and curled up under the covers, pulling them over his head. When he was completely sealed from the world, he allowed himself to cry. 

 

Why was it that when things were staring to go sort of good, something had to come in and fuck it up? He thought they were doing fine. He was beginning to really like, maybe even  _love_ , Marcel, and he was starting to see Harry and Edward that way. They were hot and cold with him, all except Marcel, but he couldn't even trust Marcel anymore. They talked as if he'd been serving them slop and doing a shit job. He did his damn best and they never even said thank you. 

 

What was he even doing here? Maybe, if they fell in love with her, he would get to go home. He'd rather be there right now anyway. But with his luck, they'd mate her and he'd still be stuck here. He'd have to cook and clean for them and watch their bratty kids because there's no way Callie is a good mother. He's willing to bet all the money he has that she thinks of babies as accessories. 

 

He sighed and rolled over to face the wall. He made himself as small as he could and closed his eyes. He hoped that when he woke up, he'd still be in front of the fireplace with Harry and Edward, and discover that this had all just been a nightmare. 

 

-

 

He was shaken awake roughly a few hours later. He pushed the covers away from his head and opened his eyes. Marcel was hovering over him, and he noticed that the room was so much more warmer than it had been when he'd fallen asleep. Someone must have turned the heat back on. 

 

"We need you to move." Marcel said, and that wasn't what Louis was expecting  _at all_.

 

"What?" He looked at Marcel confusedly. He was maybe expecting a kind word or an apology or something. Not this. 

 

"Callie needs a bed." Marcel explained, and Louis wanted to roll his eyes and refuse. "Liam and Sophia are taking the guest room, and it's just too cold in the living room for her, even with the heat on and the fire going. And our bed is too small for four people." 

 

Louis had no idea what to say. He felt like he would be sick. They had entertained the idea of letting Callie sleep in the same bed as them, but wouldn't even turn the heat on for Louis. He wanted to cry, but instead, he nodded wordlessly and got up. He expected to be led into a different bedroom, considering there were probably about four or five in the cabin, but instead, he was led down the stairs and to the survival room door. 

 

Marcel opened it and the cold air that traveled out chilled Louis to the bone. "It's got a bed, and a bathroom, so you should be fine for the night." Was all the alpha said before walking away. Louis bit his lip and stepped onto the stairs, closing the door behind him. The concrete steps chilled his feet and he hurried down them. He found the light and turned it on. 

 

The room had been finished, but even the thicker walls couldn't hold out the cold. He searched for a heater and came up empty. He had no choice but to layer up with the clothes he found in the dresser drawers. Though it helped with the cold some, his toes and fingers were still hard to move and hurt every time he walked. He turned the light off and crawled into the squeaky bed. He turned off the lamp and sighed. There was no doubt his breath was visible. 

 

As he drifted off into a shivering sleep once again, he hoped that Callie was nice and warm in the bed he should be sleeping in.

 

-

 

Louis waited until everyone had cleared out of the kitchen the next morning before making himself some tea. He wasn't really hungry - how could you eat when your stomach was in knots? He stared out the window as he sipped the hot liquid. It seemed to warm him up from the inside out, which he appreciated. He nearly froze half to death last night. 

 

While he was in the kitchen, no one came in, which was weird, considering even after breakfast, Harry was usually still hungry, and he was always in and out of the kitchen, getting things to snack on. But Louis doesn't think he could bear to look any of them in the eye, so it's probably best that he keeps to himself. 

 

-

 

Louis spent the rest of the day by himself. He didn't join in on lunch, and his stomach growled at him for that. He hadn't eaten in twenty-four hours, but his stomach rolled every time he thought about Callie mating with the boys.  _His_ boys. He thought she was rude and they were too good for her. She hadn't even offered a hello to him at all. He expected to be ignored the whole time, but Callie cornered him right after everyone had eaten dinner. 

 

"Uh, yes?" He asked, trying to back away from her. 

 

"So, what's their story?" She asked, and Louis wanted to smack her when she licked her lips. 

 

"What's who's story?" He asked, looking from side to side. He wouldn't protest if someone came in right now and saved him. 

 

"You know, the brothers. What's their story? A mate? Are they looking for a single omega or do they each want one?" She asked. 

 

"Um, just one." He answered. He hoped it was right, because if not, he couldn't handle if they brought anymore omegas in. 

 

She grinned like the Cheshire cat. "Perfect." She purred. "I've been looking for mates like them -" 

 

"Oh, well, you're out of luck then." Louis interrupted her. It was like word vomit. "They already have a mate." 

 

She frowned. "Who?" She demanded. 

 

"Me." 

 

-

 

After Callie stormed out of the hall, Louis cursed himself.  _Why_ on earth did he have to say that? Not only was it false, but it was so unbelievable that the Styles' triplets could ever look at him in that way. As much as he could hope, they just weren't interested in him. They probably wanted someone like Callie, and he had to fuck that up. He dropped his head back against the wall. Why couldn't he ever keep his mouth shut? 

 

Just as he was about to enter the living room, an angry Edward stormed up to him, fire apparent in his green eyes. Louis backed away cautiously, but Edward reached out and snatched his arm up in a tight grip. 

 

"What the  _fuck_ did you do?" Edward demanded. "Why did you tell Callie that you were our mate?" 

 

"I don't -" Louis began, but Edward shook his arm and cut him off. 

 

" _Why_ the  _fuck_ would you ever think that we would do  _anything_ with you?" He snarled right in Louis' face. His harsh words made tears prick Louis' eyes. "You are  _nothing_ to us. You came here for one reason and you can't even do that. Callie is everything we're looking for and you just had to fuck it up." 

 

"But -" If Edward would just let him explain, things could easily be resolved. But, the alpha was hot-headed. 

 

"We have  _standards_ here," Edward spat, tugging Louis down the hall. The force of the alpha's strength almost pulled Louis' arm right out of the socket. " _Look_ at yourself." He swiveled around and stared mockingly at Louis. "You're  _fat_ , and you're  _ugly_ , and you aren't fit for  _anyone_. You're not  _good enough_ for anyone." 

 

"That's not true." Louis whimpered. There was no doubt that he'd be bruised considerably where Edward was holding him. 

 

Edward tossed his head back and laughed. He jerked Louis again and they stopped at the front door. "Yes it is." He swung the door open. "You're worthless. Your parents didn't want you, and we don't want you. When will you realize that?" 

 

Louis shook his head and wiped at his nose. Tears were falling freely down his face now, and he kept his gaze to the ground, ignoring what Edward was saying to him. It wasn't until Edward dragged him out onto the porch that he realized what was happening. He tried to jerk himself out of Edward's grip, but the attempt was futile. Edward was stronger, and he showcased his strength by putting his hands on Louis' chest and shoving the omega down the front steps. 

 

Louis's head cracked against the bottom step painfully and his vision blurred; partly from the snow that had fallen onto his face and partially from the knock to his brain. He heard the front door close and lock, and he realized that he was being made to sleep out here. He laid in the snow for several more moments before deciding to get up. He stumbled a few times, more than he'd like to admit, and his vision was still blurry. 

 

He wandered around what he thought was the house, but in his muddled brain, he didn't realize that he was furthering himself away from the cabin, venturing into the woods. It wasn't until he became nauseous and wanted to go and sit on the porch did he realize that the cabin was nowhere in sight. He'd been wandering for fifteen minutes and he lost himself amongst the trees. 

 

He began to panic. His head was killing him, and his whole body was shivering, and he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. But, he wanted to go home. He couldn't be protected out here. He liked to think that if he was in trouble, they would still protect him. 

 

He wandered around some more before realizing that he was only making it worse. If he stayed in one spot, they would find him easier, if at all. So, he sat down against a tree, trying to steady himself against the trunk. He focused on his choppy breathing and made sure to cover his hands with the sleeves of his hoodie before closing his eyes. 

 

He doesn't remember falling asleep. 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Callie let out a sob worthy of an Oscar and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Harry rubbed between her shoulder blades soothingly and Sophia handed her another tissue. Marcel sat in the armchair right next to the couch and watched Callie. Edward was kneeling in front of her, balancing himself with his hands on her knees, and he looked concerned. Liam, however, was fuming. He was pacing back and forth. 

 

They'd just heard the exchange between Louis and Edward, and Liam  _heard_ the sound Louis' head made when it bounced off of the bottom step. It sickened him, and he was furious at his friends. He never liked Callie, and he knew what she was doing. She did this every time she was around alphas. He kept encouraging Sophia to drop her, but Sophia refused. And because Liam loved her, he put up with Callie. 

 

"It's just," Callie cried. "I tried to be nice to him. Why would he  _lie_?" 

 

Edward shook his head and squeezed her knees. "I think he'll have a better attitude tomorrow morning." 

 

"If he's still alive." Liam mumbled, crossing his arms. 

 

Edward looked over at Liam. "Don't be dramatic." 

 

Harry wrapped his arm around Callie's shoulders and pulled her close. "Do you feel any better?" He asked. He was ready to hop up and get her anything she wanted. Sort of like another omega...

 

Callie shook her head and stood. "I'm so exhausted." She put the back of her hand against her forehead. "I think I'll go lay down." 

 

Edward stood with her. "Do you want me to go with you?" 

 

She shook her head, but stood up on her toes and pressed her lips against his for a quick kiss, just to mark her territory. "I'll be fine, but thank you. I wish I had an alpha like you." She left it at that and waved goodbye to Marcel and Harry before going upstairs. Once she was gone, Edward touched his lips. 

 

Liam scoffed. "Are you kidding me?" 

 

"Liam," Sophia said gently, trying to calm her mate down. 

 

"No, Soph, stay out of this." Liam said. 

 

"What's your problem?" Edward asked, squaring up. He stepped right up to Liam. "Why are you acting like this?" 

 

"You seriously have no idea why I'm acting like this?" Liam asked. "Are you that stupid?" 

 

"Whoa," Harry chimed in, sitting down on the couch. He sat right where Callie was and soaked up her warmth. She was a breath of fresh air in the stifling cabin. "Relax, Liam. Edward did nothing wrong." 

 

"I can name at least five things he's done that are wrong." Liam scoffed. 

 

"Go ahead then." Edward challenged. 

 

Liam laughed and shook his head before counting things off on his fingers. "You guys insulted the food that he makes for you three times a day, you made him give up his bed to  _another_ omega, just to make him sleep in the freezing cold survival room, you ignored him all day, you called him names, you insulted his family, you said he was worthless, you most likely gave him a fucking concussion because I  _heard_ his head hit the bottom step, you - " 

 

"Okay, shut up!" Edward demanded, holding his hands up. "Are you finished?" 

 

"I could go on for days." Liam replied. 

 

"What's your point?" Edward asked. "We've," He gestured between himself, Harry, and Marcel. "Have done nothing wrong. We saw an omega that we liked and we're getting to know her." 

 

"That's  _exactly_ my point." Liam stressed. "Anyone on planet Earth can see how gone Louis is for you stupid fucks and why he's still here after all of this abuse, I have no fucking idea. The kid deserves better than you three and as soon as I go outside and get him, I'm going to encourage him to leave here.  _I'll_ pay off his family's debt just to get him away from you three." 

 

Marcel, who was quietly observing, spoke up. "What do you mean, gone for us?" He asked Liam softly. 

 

Liam swiveled and pointed directly to Marcel. "Don't even play that game. When I got here, I saw it plain and simple. You're gone for him too, so don't even deny it, Marcel." 

 

When Marcel didn't protest, Edward turned and looked at him. "Is that true, baby brother?" He asked. "Are you in love with him?" 

 

Marcel shrugged. "I don't know!" He cried. "I thought I was? But then Callie came along..." He shrugged again. 

 

Harry bit his lip. "Oh fuck." 

 

Edward glanced over at him. "What?" 

 

"I think I'm in love with him." Harry said. He promptly began freaking out. He stood up and tore his fingers through his hair. "Oh no, no, no.  _Fuck_! I thought he was good at cuddling and I really enjoyed it but I thought that was it! But now I keep picturing waking up next to him and seeing him pregnant with my babies and  _fuck_   _me_ Edward, what have you done?" 

 

Edward stepped back. "Me? What have  _I_ done?" He shouted. Sophia stood from the couch and went to the kitchen. She hated being around shouting. Liam watched her go. "We  _all_ took part in this! We're all to blame!" 

 

Marcel sighed and put his head in his hands. "What do you propose we do?" 

 

Edward snarled at his brothers. "Nothing. You two don't love him.  _We_ do not love him. We are going to go up to bed and in the morning, we are going to talk with Callie some more and get to know her and then when the time is right, we're going to mate her. Am I clear?" 

 

"Edward, I don't think you control what your brothers do." Liam stepped in. 

 

Edward leveled him with a look. "Alright, Liam. If my brothers want to go out and rescue their little love, they can feel free to do so. But if not, then they can head right upstairs." He maintained eye contact with Liam the whole time he spoke. Liam sighed when Marcel and Harry headed straight upstairs. He'd never felt such disappointment in his three friends. 

 

-

 

Liam sat at the kitchen counter with his head in his hands. Sophia rubbed her small hand up and down his back in a comforting way. The tea she had made to calm him down sat in front of him, half drank and rapidly cooling. He sighed. 

 

"Why are they idiots?" He asked her quietly. 

 

Behind him, she shook her head. "I don't know, babe." She answered. "Hiding their feelings, maybe? Maybe they're internally homophobic?" 

 

Liam let out a little laugh. "Maybe." He replied. "Maybe they're just fucking stupid. Was I ever like this towards you?" 

 

Sophia smiled at him. "No, you were pretty obvious with how you felt." She answered. She leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "Now, do you want me to fix up the couch so you can bring Louis in? It's already below zero outside." 

 

Liam nodded and stood up. He wrapped his arms around Sophia. "You're the best." 

 

"I know, I know." She laughed, pushing him away. "Now go and get him before he freezes. Omegas don't have the body heat alphas do. Poor thing is probably half frozen." 

 

Liam left the kitchen and headed straight outside. He stood on the porch and looked around. He shined a flashlight down and grew sick when he saw a little blood strewn across the front steps and into the snow. But, he didn't see Louis anywhere. 

 

"Louis?" He called, knowing that his voice would carry. When he didn't get an answer, he stepped off of the porch and tried again. "Louis!" He waited about a minute before making a full circle around the house. He even stopped in the greenhouse and looked inside the shed. "Fuck!" He shouted, running back inside. Sophia looked up from the couch when he thundered in. 

 

"What is it?" She asked, following him. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs as he climbed them. 

 

"He's not outside anywhere." Liam said before disappearing around the corner. He barged into the brothers' room and didn't even shield his eyes when he saw that two out of three of them were laying naked. 

 

"Ever heard of knocking?" Edward asked lazily. 

 

"Louis is gone." Liam breathed out. He didn't get the reaction he was hoping for. Marcel was the only one that got up and slid pants on. Edward just shrugged and put his hands behind his head. 

 

"What do you want us to do about it?" He asked. "He'll come back when he gets cold." 

 

"Yes," Liam gritted out. "But what you fail to realize is that he has the body temperature of a field mouse and you have the body temperature of a raging inferno. God only knows where he wandered off too, and you are going to get up and help me find him.  _If_ we find him. We might only find pieces maybe, considering no one knows what kind of shit is out there." 

 

Edward laughed and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Harry did the same, but they looked in no hurry to help. Liam wanted to kill them both and hang them upside down from a tree. But, Marcel beat him to it, sort of. The youngest brother stepped forward and landed a fist right against Edward's jaw. He did the same to Harry, who was in shock at his brother. 

 

"What the fuck?" Harry spat, clutching his aching cheek. 

 

"If he's dead," Marcel warned lowly. "Then you two will  _never_ see me again." 

 

-

 

Harry stuck his nose high in the air for the eighth time and inhaled deeply. He shook his head when he failed to smell anything. "I lost his scent." He said to Liam. They had all ventured out around twenty minutes ago, and Harry, who had the sharpest nose, was able to catch Louis' scent, leading them further into the woods. Minutes in, though, he lost it. 

 

Marcel groaned into his hands. "What if we never find him?" He asked his brothers. "What if we've all royally fucked up and he's dead?" 

 

Edward side-eyed Marcel. "Don't be so dramatic. We'll find him. Harry, maybe take a few steps and try again." He suggested. 

 

Harry sighed but did so anyway. He got about twenty steps away from his brothers and inhaled. This time, his nose caught a whiff of something sweet, and he knew in his soul that it was Louis' scent. "I've got it," He yelled back to his brothers. He began walking quickly, inhaling every few seconds. Liam and Edward and Marcel ran behind him, taking every twist and turn that he did. 

 

Finally, they ascended upon a tree. At the base was Louis, curled up into the tightest ball, and sleeping. Which was not good. Marcel dropped to his knees and turned Louis over. From the light of the moon, they could see that his skin was pale white and ice cold, and his lips were blue. His eyes were closed, and his chest wasn't moving with any breath. He looked peaceful. 

 

Marcel began to cry. 

 

Edward stepped up and pulled Marcel back, letting Harry and Liam take over. Harry hoisted up the limp omega and tried not to cringe at how cold he was. Liam used two fingers and pressed them against Louis' throat, looking for a pulse. All eyes were on him. 

 

"I've got it." He said, and they were on the move. Harry kept Louis cradled to his chest the whole way back to the cabin. Once inside, Sophia greeted them at the door with blankets. Liam planted a quick kiss to her cheek before following the brothers into the living room. Harry laid Louis down on the carpet and made quick work of stripping the wet clothes off of him, exposing the omegas small, fit body. Edward regretted saying those things to Louis when he caught sight of the art that was Louis' body. He would be forever trying to make it up to Louis. 

 

"Strip," Harry said to his brothers. He himself began to take his clothes off, leaving just his underwear. The other two followed suit and when they were all down to their briefs, they situated themselves around Louis, making sure he was covered from head to toe with blankets and in front of the fireplace. Liam headed to the bathroom to grab the first aid kit. 

 

"You'll need to take care of his head wound," He said, reentering the living room. He sat the kit down by the brothers. "It looked pretty bad outside, but that just could have been the moonlight." 

 

Edward nodded and pushed the hair away from Louis' cold, pale face. "Okay." He sounded torn up. Louis wasn't awake to support his own head, so Edward had to do it, making a home for it in the crook of his arm. 

 

"Do you guys want to go up to your bed?" Liam suggested. "More blankets, and when he wakes, you can dress him." 

 

Edward looked over at his brothers, who nodded. They stood and extracted themselves from Louis, making sure that he stayed warm and covered. Harry carried him upstairs, followed by Liam and Sophia. They went their separate ways at the top of the stairs. 

 

Once in their bedroom, Edward lit their fireplace and Harry put Louis on the bed. They all climbed in around him and spooned each other. Edward let his hand stroke over Louis' soft hair. It was damp from the snow and from the blood he'd shed when Edward pushed him. He had to clean it before he touched Louis anymore. It would gut him if he didn't. Marcel and Harry took over the cuddling while Edward made quick work of cleaning the wound on the back of Louis' neck. 

 

When he was done, he fell back into bed and kissed Louis' forehead. He hoped to God that Louis was going to be okay.

 

-

 

Harry woke up a few hours later to the sound of Louis gasping for breath. His head darted straight up and he stared at Louis, who wasn't awake, but his chest was heaving up and down. Harry sighed in relief. He was breathing normally again. He put the back of his hand against Louis' cheeks and they were warmer. Louis' body temperature must be raising again. 

 

He pulled down the blankets and checked each of Louis' thin fingers and small toes, checking for frostbite. Though they were cold, they were warm. So, not frozen and not frostbitten, which was a blessing. He tucked the blankets back in and molded himself against Louis' back, bare skin against bare skin. Behind him, Marcel shifted and peeked up. 

 

"Is he awake yet?" He whispered, staring at Louis. 

 

Harry shook his head. "No, but he's breathing regularly again." 

 

Marcel sighed in relief. "That's good." He said. "That's great." 

 

Harry just hummed, and he felt Marcel's chin rest on his bicep. 

 

"Do you think he'll hate us?" Marcel asked again after a few moments. "Do you think he'll leave?" 

 

Harry just shrugged. "I don't know, baby brother." 

 

-

 

When Louis opened his eyes, he wasn't outside. He was laying in a warm bed, with three bodies curled around him, and he was swathed in blankets. His head hurt like a motherfucker and his mouth was dry. But he was  _alive_. 

 

He turned his head and was met with Edward's sleeping face. There was a bruise on the alphas jaw, and he briefly wondered how it got there before remembering what Edward did to him. What he  _said_ to him. Edward deserved it. He shifted around to his opposite side and saw Harry, snoring and slack jawed. Behind him, Marcel was dozing as well. He sat up and pushed the blankets off of himself. 

 

He climbed down the bottom of the bed and stood in front of the fireplace. He was wearing nothing but his underwear, and he picked up a sweater from a nearby chair and slid it on. It fell to his thighs. He sighed and went to take a step, but his balance disagreed with him, and he stumbled, promptly waking each brother. He had three alphas by his side in a matter of nanoseconds. 

 

Hands soothed up and down his skin and concerned words filled his ears, but his head was sort of fuzzy and he stared blankly at Marcel, who wanted to cry again. Instead, he wrapped his arm around Louis and led him back to the bed. Once in a horizontal position, Louis could see better. He could see the concerned faces of the ones who'd hurt him the most. 

 

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, sitting down beside him. Edward stood over the bed and bit his bottom lip, and Marcel ran his hand through Louis' hair. It was all so nice, and any other time, Louis would welcome it. But he couldn't now. He just couldn't. 

 

He opened his mouth and wet his lips before speaking. 

 

"I want to go home." 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i fudged everything so go with it. lets pretend that the symptoms of frostbite are completely different to werewolves okay
> 
> I had no motivation to write this or perfect but I made myself, so I apologize if this is terrible.
> 
> I also put a visual of Marcel so

Marcel stared down at Louis. The omega had fallen back to sleep shortly after he made the request that broke each of their hearts. He suspected it had something to do with hitting his head so hard, and Edward thought that Louis may still be experiencing signs of hypothermia. Either way, all three of them were torn, and they all waited patiently for him to wake back up. 

 

A knock on their door startled them all. Harry stood up and flung the door open. Callie was standing there, wearing an open robe and lingerie. She blushed when she saw Harry. 

 

"Oh!" She said in a high pitched voice. "This isn't the bathroom!" 

 

"Nope." Harry replied, letting the door slam shut. He ignored her confused gasp and went back over to the bed. Louis was stirring, and everyone was waiting with baited breath. They didn't want him to say that he wanted to go home again. When his blue eyes blinked open, he steadied his gaze on each individual alpha. 

 

"How are you feeling?" Edward asked. 

 

Louis didn't answer him. 

 

Marcel peered over Louis. "Louis? Does your head hurt?" 

 

Again, no answer. 

 

Finally, Harry tried. "Are you still cold?" 

 

Louis looked over and nodded. Harry let out a relieved breath. At least Louis wasn't ignoring him. He scooted up onto the bed further and put the back of his hand against Louis' cheek. It was warmer than it had been. 

 

"Do you want more blankets?" Harry asked. Louis shook his head. "Do you want a shower?" 

 

When Louis nodded again, Harry helped him out of bed. Louis still swayed on his feet, making Edward and Marcel jump up to help as well. However, Louis clung to Harry and ignored the other two. While they were hurt, they understood that Louis needed and wanted to be warmer, so they didn't interfere. They simply waited outside their bathroom until Harry and Louis were done. 

 

Inside the bathroom, Harry helped Louis out of his clothes before yanking his off. He turned on the spray and waited until it got warm before helping Louis up into it. He stepped in behind the omega, making sure that Louis was out of the spray. Too much at once could really hurt Louis, maybe even send him into cardiac arrest. So, he would rely on the heat from the steam for a few minutes before introducing the omega to the hot water. 

 

He held Louis against his chest standing up until Louis wanted to sit. He grew weak very quickly, so Harry complied. He held Louis in his lap, ignoring how the tip of his cock brushed against Louis' bottom. This was no time to get sexual. He ran his fingers through Louis' hair and down his back. 

 

"Why didn't talk to Edward or Marcel?" He asked quietly. Here under the spray, it was cozy. He felt like he and Louis were in their own little world. He felt Louis shrug and that was answer enough for him. 

 

But, Louis replied verbally, too. "They hurt me." He said softly. 

 

Harry held Louis just a bit tighter and allowed himself to kiss Louis' temple. "I'm sorry." He apologized for his brothers. "I'm so sorry." 

 

Louis sniffled against Harry's wet skin. "I meant what I said." He said quietly. 

 

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, already dreading the answer. 

 

"When I said that I wanted to go home." 

 

Harry squeezed Louis just a bit tighter and curled his toes in the collecting water. "You don't mean that." He said, trying to convince himself. He pushed his nose into the damp hairs at the back of Louis' head and shook his head. "You don't mean that." 

 

"I do." Louis whispered. "Can we get out now? I'm tired." 

 

"Sure, sure." Harry was in no position to deny Louis anything. He stood, holding Louis in his arms. The poor omega was shaking slightly, and he was quick to wrap a large, plush towel around him twice, bundling him up like a burrito. He tied one around his waist and herded Louis out into the bedroom. Edward and Marcel were both sitting by the fire, looking worse for wear. They jumped up when Louis and Harry entered the room. 

 

"I got you some clothes," Marcel said, handing Harry the clothes he'd picked out for Louis. It was a simple sweater, sweatpants, and some fuzzy socks. He knew that the gesture would get him nowhere with Louis, but it was a start. Maybe. 

 

Edward remained silent and averted his eyes when Harry helped dry Louis off and change him. Once Louis was bundled up once more, the three watched as he crawled up the bed and laid down right in the middle of it. It was less than a minute before he was sleeping again. Wordlessly, Harry tugged on some clothes and motioned for his brothers to follow him out into the hallway. 

 

"He wants to go home." Harry said to them. "Badly." 

 

Marcel sighed heavily and looked ready to cry. "But why?" 

 

Harry glared over at Edward. "I think it has to do with Edward." He accused. "But it could be any number of reasons." 

 

"I can think of one specific one..." Marcel trailed off. And it was as if her ears were burning, because Callie suddenly appeared into the hallway, wearing a sheer, low-cut blouse exposing her sagging cleavage, and she was wearing too much makeup. She looked surprised to see them all huddled together. 

 

"Oh my!" She said, pressing her hands against her abdomen. "I didn't mean to infringe on any brotherly bonding." 

 

Edward rolled his eyes. "Right." He muttered. 

 

She barely glanced at him, and sat her sights right on Harry. She stepped forward. "I'm so sorry about the loss of your...  _omega friend_." She said with faux sympathy. She batted her coated eyelashes. "He was so cute." 

 

Marcel furrowed his brows. "What do you mean,  _the loss of our friend_?" He asked. 

 

She pouted. "Sophia told me that he died." 

 

"Well, no she didn't," Harry said. "Because Sophia doesn't lie. And he's not dead." 

 

At her gasp, Edward stepped forward. "In fact, he's curled up in our bed right now." 

 

She gasped again. "You said there was only room for three in that bed!" She stomped her foot. "That's why I had to sleep in his bedroom on that lumpy old mattress." 

 

Harry shrugged like,  _hey, what are you going to do_. "Well, when you find the omega you want to sleep next to, you find the room." 

 

"What's that supposed to mean?" She crossed her arms and stared up at the three. "I thought we were going to mate?" 

 

Marcel choked on absolutely nothing, Harry looked as if he'd be sick, and Edward let out a harsh laugh. "Yeah, right." He said to her. "Sorry if we gave you the wrong impression." 

 

She looked livid. "And I suppose you're going to try to mate with that train wreck in there?" She spat, pointing to their closed bedroom door. "What does he have to offer that I can't?" 

 

"Well, for one, he's cuter than you," Harry said matter-of-factly. 

 

"And a wee bit smarter than you." Marcel tacked on. 

 

Callie looked over at Edward who had yet to say something. She tapped her foot and crossed her arms. "Well? I'm waiting for you to say something now. I can't wait to hear this. After everything you said about him last night, I doubt that there's anything you can say now to even  _begin_ to make up for it." 

 

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're right, Callie." 

 

She looked triumphant. 

 

"But," He continued. "There's absolutely nothing I won't do to try and make up for what I said. If he lets me, I'll spend the rest of my life making up to him." 

 

There was a silence, and then Harry was yanking Edward to the side. Marcel followed, and Callie's jaw dropped. Edward was just confused at everyone's behavior after what he said. 

 

"You realize what you just said?" Marcel asked him. 

 

Edward frowned. "Uh, no? Did I say something wrong?" 

 

Harry said, "You said that you'd spend the rest of your life trying to make it up to him. As in...you want to spend the rest of your life with him?" 

 

Edward made a face of realization. "Oh, that. Well, yeah, I meant it." He glanced at the bedroom door. "Why am I telling all of you this? I need to tell him." He tried to step away, but Marcel grabbed his arm. 

 

"He hates us, remember? If you barge in there, you'll send him into a heart attack." Marcel looked sad to admit that Louis hated them both. He truly loved Louis. "Just wait until he's recovered. Okay?" 

 

Edward sighed. He wasn't so used to being tamed by his baby brother. But, he nodded anyway. "Sure. Okay. When will that be?" 

 

Marcel shrugged. "I say we just let him sleep it off." 

 

-

 

When Louis woke up, he was incredibly warm and aware of everything that had gone on. He vividly remembered what Edward said to him, and what Edward did to him, and his time spent in the woods. He doesn't really remember falling asleep or being brought home, though. He just knew that he was scared of the alpha and not so fond of Marcel, which broke his heart. He really liked Marcel, maybe even  _loved_. 

 

He was alone in their bedroom, still wearing clothing that was too-big for him. He decided to keep them on. Despite the fact that he hated all but one of them, he felt safer in the clothing. Sort of like a shield. He climbed out of bed and discovered that his head didn't hurt anymore. He walked over to the door and opened it quietly. The hall was dark and no one was in it. 

 

He walked to the top of the stairs and stepped down a few. He could hear muffled noises coming from the kitchen, and his tummy rumbled just thinking about food. He hadn't eaten since the day Callie got here. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd gone without food, but it was the longest. He reached the bottom of the stairs and stood there for a moment. There was a small throbbing at his temples again. 

 

He took a few careful steps into the living room and found it empty. He looked out the window and saw that it was snowing again. He would have been delighted, but he remembered how cold and unforgiving the snow really was. Still, it was pretty to watch. 

 

"You're awake," Came a voice from behind him. He recognized the deep timbre as Harry, so he turned around. "Are you hungry?" 

 

He nodded and reached his hand out towards the alpha. Harry took it immediately and stepped closer, ready to steady Louis if needed. "Yes." He answered, clearing his throat. 

 

"Edward and Marcel have been making all sorts of things for you." Harry told him, rubbing his thumbs over Louis' soft knuckles.  When Louis didn't answer, he stepped even closer. "They're really torn up about this." 

 

Louis shrugged. "So am I." He replied. 

 

"Yeah, but," Harry sighed, frustrated. "I can't explain it to you. I know we were  _all_  supposed to protect you and Edward did a shit job at it, and I don't know why you're angry at Marcel, but they're both trying now. Marcel can easily apologize and grovel to you, but Edward, he'll have a hard time. Just, please don't make any rash decisions until you hear them out?" 

 

Louis shrugged again. What could he say?  _No thanks, take me home?_ As much as he wanted to, though, he was curious to hear what Marcel and Edward had to say. He doesn't believe that either one of them are truly sorry. 

 

-

 

He refused to eat until Marcel and Edward both left the kitchen. They did, at Harry's order, but Edward looked absolutely livid. Callie and Sophia were in the living room, and he'd have to go out and sit with them, listening to Callie cry about them. 

 

When they were gone, Louis lifted his fork and began to eat. Nothing could stop him; he was hungry. Harry sat beside him and watched, rubbing his lower back and talking about random things. He was careful to avoid the topic of Edward and Marcel, and he didn't dare mention what had happened between them. Though, he was curious to know why Louis was angry at Marcel. 

 

"Louis?" He asked suddenly. 

 

Louis hummed and looked up at him. "Yeah?" 

 

Harry turned to face the omega. "Why are you upset with Marcel?" Louis' face grew blank and he stared down at his plate. His appetite quickly diminished and he pushed the plate away. Harry was quick to panic and stop him. "No, no, what's wrong? Don't do that." 

 

Louis' cheeks grew hot. "He wanted to trade me." He said quietly. 

 

Harry's ears strained to hear him. "What?" 

 

"Marcel," Louis explained, twirling his fork absently. "He wanted to trade me for the other omega." He refused to say Callie. He hated that name. "When you both agreed that her cooking was better." 

 

Harry's stomach twisted uncomfortably. Never had an omega made him feel so guilty. "Oh, baby," He said before he could stop himself. "He didn't mean it." 

 

"He did." Louis refused to cry. 

 

"Why aren't you mad at me too?" Harry asked. 

 

"Because," Louis shrugged. "I - I  _love_ Marcel and he wanted to trade me." He answered quietly. He stood, appetite completely gone. 

 

Although Harry was hurt that Louis didn't have the same feelings for him, he understood. Marcel was kind to him when he and Edward weren't. But before he could say anything else, the kitchen door burst open and Marcel rushed in. He dropped to his knees in front of Louis and wrapped his strong arms around Louis' thighs.

 

"I love you too, baby,  _please_ forgive me." He sobbed into Louis' lower stomach. Louis stood there, arms up awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Edward hovered in the doorway, watching his youngest brother. "Baby, please. I don't know why I said that." 

 

Louis crossed his arms above Marcel's head and blinked away a few tears. "What you said hurt me." He said in a small voice. 

 

" _Baby_ ," Marcel repeated. "Don't cry because of me. I'm not worth your tears. I didn't mean what I said, honest. Baby, I love you. I would  _die_ for you. I wish I was  _already_ dead so that I don't have to witness your pain and suffering." 

 

Edward rolled his eyes. There was no way Louis would fall for his apology. Marcel was just being dramatic. But, when he looked over at his baby brother, he was no being enveloped by Louis' smaller body. Louis was trying to comfort him, face buried in Marcel's neck. They were completely wrapped up in each other. Edward had a hard time telling where one began and one ended. 

 

Harry looked happy for them both, yet he was still pained. Louis didn't even hate Harry and he still came in second. At least he wasn't Edward, though. Edward was in dead last. Edward would probably never get that sort of love from Louis, and to be quite frank, it pissed him off. So, naturally, he came unglued. 

 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He exploded, stepping into the kitchen. Harry stood up, ready to intervene. [Marcel ](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/73/f6/3b/73f63b9b675c599c7fcb9ce7ec457329.jpg)wrapped his arms tighter around Louis and the omega just looked scared. "Are you serious?" 

 

"Edward, calm down," Harry said, stepping forward. 

 

"No!" He shouted. "I will not!" He gave Louis a searing look before storming out of the house. They heard the front door slam open, and then he was gone. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so short and I apologize

Louis wiped at his eyes and kept his gaze steady. He had been looking out the picture window since Edward left four hours ago. He was beyond worried. It was making him sick, thinking about the things that could happen to Edward in the foot and a half deep snow. Though Edward was a capable and strong alpha, Louis' instincts were to worry about him because they were  _mates_. That's all there was to it. 

 

"Please, come upstairs." Marcel was kneeling down beside the omega, hands on Louis' thighs. "Edward won't show up for another few hours, I'm afraid." 

 

The sky was darkening and Sophia had convinced Callie to leave right after Edward did. Maybe Callie caught up with Edward and they were mating? Maybe they staged the whole thing just so that they could be together? Maybe they would never come back. Louis grew sicker at the thought of never seeing Edward again, even if the alpha was a dick and a half. 

 

He shook his head. "No, I'm good." He said politely. "I want to wait for him." 

 

Marcel sighed. "I thought you were mad at him?" He asked, gazing up at Louis. 

 

"I was. I am," He said. Frustrated, he shook his head. "I want to be." He corrected. He dropped his head into his hands and sighed heavily. "I want to be  _furious_ at him, but I'm not. I'm more worried about his safety than I am my own sanity. What does that mean? I can't hate him. I could never hate him." He looked up at Marcel. "Am I crazy?" He finished in a small voice. 

 

Marcel shook his head and shushed Louis. "No, you're not crazy." He assured Louis. "You care about your alpha. It's your basic biological instinct." 

 

"But how do I even know you all are my alphas?" Louis asked. "What if you decide to bond with me and then your real mate comes up later and you're stuck with me? What if I'm already pregnant?  What if - " 

 

Marcel shushed him with a kiss to the center of his forehead. "No more what-ifs. It is what it is, doll. Now, you're still staying down here?" 

 

Louis nodded and looked back out the window. "Yeah." He answered. He heard Marcel shuffle away, and a few seconds later, he was completely alone, sitting in the glow of the roaring fire. He rested his temple against the cold glass of the window and waited for his missing puzzle piece.

 

-

 

Bright eyes that cut through the dark signaled to him that Edward was back on the property. The closer the eyes came, the more of the wolf's shape he could make out. It was indeed Edward. The moon glowed off of his shiny coat and his wolf walked with a limp. Louis  _ached_ to take care of him. He left his spot on the window seat and opened the front door. He stepped out on the porch just as the wolf did. 

 

There was a little staring contest before Edward shifted, his bones snapping and muscles twisted. Louis looked away; the sight made him sick. He knew that there must be some pain associated with the shift. When he turned back, Edward was standing in front of him, milky skin practically glowing with the moonlight. He was stark naked, and Louis swept his eyes over the marred torso. He let out a pitiful sigh and stepped forward. 

 

"You need to hate me." Edward said lowly. He didn't prevent Louis from getting closer though. 

 

Louis lifted his hand slowly, waiting for Edward to smack it down and storm inside. When he didn't, Louis let himself cup Edward's warm cheek. He sighed and tilted his head. "I know. I can't." 

 

"You  _need_ to." Edward demanded again, with really no demand at all. "I hurt you." 

 

"I know." Louis agreed. 

 

"I said horrible things to you." Edward reminded him. 

 

"I know." Louis remembered. 

 

"I battered you." Edward stepped forward slowly, backing Louis up. "I made you bleed." They walked slowly together. "I ignored you." Louis' back hit the outside wall of the house and he stared up at Edward, who dipped his head. "I made you think I don't love you." 

 

"Do you?" Louis asked, his voice nothing more than a breath. 

 

Edward nodded, and then their lips were touching. Louis was surprised to find that Edward kissed like he talked; slow and steady, controlled and to the point. His lips were soft as cashmere and they were addicting. Louis stood up on his tiptoes and wrapped his arms around Edward's cold neck. He twisted his fingers into the loose ringlets at the nape of the alphas neck and held them there. 

 

Edward pulled away a few seconds later and growled at the little whine Louis let out. He nudged Louis' head to the side and nosed along the column of his throat. He inhaled deeply and Louis wilted like a flower. 

 

"You are so intoxicating," Edward whispered, his warm breath sending shivers down Louis' spine. "And  _all mine._ "

 

"I think," Louis gasped when Edward nipped at his skin. "That you need to share with your brothers." 

 

"Even then," Edward said, pulling back. "You are still mine." He let his gaze fall from Louis' head to his feet and everything in between. When he met Louis' eyes again, he seemed apologetic. "I will spend my life making up what I said to you and about you." 

 

Louis shook his head, ready to forget about everything. "It's okay - " 

 

"It's not." Edward cut him off. "It's not okay." 

 

Louis was quiet for several moments. He searched Edward's honest face. "I should hate you." He said. 

 

Edward didn't miss a beat. He nodded once in agreement. "You should." 

 

"But I don't." Louis whispered. 

 

Edward shook his head. "You don't." 

 

Louis sighed. "I think I love you." 

 

Edward let a smile take over his features. "I know." 

 

-

 

Inside, Louis wrapped Edward up in a blanket, despite Edward telling him that his body temperature was one hundred and four, and he took care of the deeply bruised shin. He winced just looking at the mottled skin. Edward assured him it would be gone by the morning and he led Louis upstairs. Liam and Sophia's room was dark, meaning they probably went straight to bed. 

 

However, the light was on in the master bedroom, and Harry and Marcel were patiently waiting for the two to enter. Harry was standing in the middle of the room, holding the shirt he had just taken off, and Marcel was propped up against the headboard, legs crossed and hands in his lap. They were like parents. 

 

"So, did you two make up?" Harry asked, flinging his shirt across the room. Edward scowled but he didn't say anything hurtful, or deny it. It made Louis smile. 

 

"Now that that's settled," Marcel said, swinging his feet off of the bed. "Can we please go to bed?" 

 

"Forgot we have a big day tomorrow." Harry mumbled, unbuttoning his jeans and kicking them off. Edward removed his hand from Louis' and began to strip. Since Louis was already in his pajamas, he shrugged and climbed up onto the bed. He settled in the middle and it wasn't long before he was surrounded by three big, warm bodies. Arms wrapped around him and he was tugged and shifted until everyone was comfortable. 

 

He fell into a peaceful sleep with the three alphas around him, and it was the best night's sleep he'd ever gotten. 

 

-

 

"You promised." 

 

"Louis, I - " 

 

"You  _promised_." Louis pouted up at Edward. It was two weeks later, and in that time, they'd all gotten along fabulously. Louis was treated like the princess he was, and if possible, the alphas fell even more in love with him. But, there were some things that Louis loved that they didn't. 

 

"Baby, listen to me." Edward tried to reason with the firecracker of an omega. "If I go outside with you, I'll be pelted in the face with a snowball. You know it, I know, everyone knows it. Why can't we stay inside and get naked?" 

 

Louis rolled his eyes and pushed past Edward. "You're useless." He said. "Where's Marcel?  _He'll_ go outside with me." 

 

"Marcel is hiding and I promised him I wouldn't tell you where." Edward followed Louis into the living room. 

 

"Where's Harry?" Louis asked. 

 

"Also hiding." Edward answered. He sat down on the couch and patted his lap. Louis huffed but sat down anyway. "Now, this is nice. So much nicer than being outside. Don't you agree?" 

 

Louis shrugged. It was very nice. Edward's body was hard and soft all at once. He melted right into it. "Maybe." He refused to give Edward the satisfaction of being right. "Can we do it?" 

 

Behind him, Edward choked and tightened his grip on Louis' waist. "Baby..." He trailed off. Of  _course_ he would love to do nothing more than to hold Louis down and fuck him senseless. He would love to sink his canines into the smooth skin of Louis' throat and breed him. But, they had to mate when Louis was in heat. That's the only way their bond would take, and he didn't want to waste the special time. 

 

"I know, I know." Louis pouted. "We have to wait." 

 

Edward smoothed his hand down Louis' back. "You'll be in heat before we know it, pet." He reassured Louis. Everyone could tell that the omega was becoming antsy. It was nearly unheard of for an omega and alpha to  _wait_ until they could bond. People usually got the fucking part over with and just bit their partners later. But the Styles' were old souls, and traditional. 

 

"It seems like I haven't had one in forever." Louis complained, leaning further back into Edward's embrace. 

 

"You probably haven't, darling." Edward agreed. "It's torture for an unmated omega to go through a heat alone. Didn't your parents ever give you pills to take?" 

 

Louis nodded. "Yeah, birth control or something like that." 

 

"Well, not really birth control. The sperm of an alpha is powerful. Nothing can protect an omega from it. But basically, the pill balanced your hormones and made your heat more bearable. If you didn't have it, you would be in agony." Edward informed him. "Sadly, it will be the same because you have alphas now." 

 

"What do you mean?" Louis asked, turning to face his alpha. "Why would it be worse? Shouldn't it be better?" 

 

"Well, technically yes. But once you've spent a heat with an alpha, your body expects that every time. If circumstances should prevent your alpha from being with you when your heat first hits, it's agony. Your body has gotten so used to taking a knot that it won't accept anything but that. Basically, little one, you won't get any satisfaction until you've been knotted."

 

Louis hummed and nodded. "That makes sense. But for the record, please don't leave my side the week before, the week during, and the week after my heat." 

 

Edward laughed and buried his face in the back of Louis' neck. "I wouldn't dream of it, darling. Not at all." 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> STRETCH your imagination guys. let the words PENETRATE your mind. don't get your thoughts in a KNOT.

As Louis rocked back onto the thick cock inside of him, he let his mind wander. When he first got here, he hated Harry and Edward, and only really liked Marcel. Now, here he was, bouncing up and down on Edward's cock while Harry and Marcel watched hungrily, stroking their own monster erections. Louis' mouth watered every time he thought of it. He'd hit the jackpot with these alphas. 

 

Underneath him, Edward was breathing erratically, clutching onto Louis' smooth, round hips. The soft flesh gave away easily under his grip, and the thought of leaving bruises in the shape of his fingertips drove him wild. He kept his eyes on the omega's lower tummy. With every thrust, he imagined Louis pregnant with their first of many pups. The thought of Louis pregnant was an enticing and mouth-watering dream. 

 

"E-Edward," Louis gasped above him. Edward looked up. He didn't realize that with his daydream, he had been thrusting up at a fast tempo, making Louis bounce quicker than he would have liked. He slowed, and Louis shot him a smile of gratitude. His blue eyes were beginning to haze, a telltale sign that his heat was starting to take over. He'd been in the beginnings of it all morning, and he'd finally taken charge only a few hours ago and mounted Edward. It was game time after that. 

 

"God," Edward growled, tightening his grip on Louis. He sat up, shifting the omega on top of him. Louis let out a satisfied groan when the cock inside of him shifted deeper with their new position. He wrapped his legs around Edward's waist and attached his mouth to the underside of Edward's jaw. When he bit down with his sharp little teeth, Edward hissed and smacked his ass. "You  _minx_." 

 

He shifted them once more, so that Louis was arched backwards. The honey sweet expanse of his throat was exposed, and Edward sank his teeth down, not hard enough to break the skin though. They would save the bonding for later. Louis let out a high pitched moan and the pheromones in the room skyrocketed. The air became thick with the scent of three unmated alphas and one unmated omega. 

 

Louis opened his eyes and looked at Harry and Marcel. They were upside down from his angle, but the hungry, primal look in their eyes told him that they weren't willing to wait to take him anymore. 

 

-

 

 

" _Fuck_ ," Harry exclaimed, his voice almost hoarse. He stared down in amazement as his cock was swallowed up by Louis' hole. Beside it, was Marcel's own slick covered cock. The two were stretching Louis to the extreme, but the omega seemed to  _thrive_ on it. He tossed his head back and groaned once more. Beneath him, Edward bit down on a nipple harshly. The three alphas had been very unforgiving on his body, and the skin was littered with marks. 

 

Louis quickened his pace, and Harry found himself pressing his hands against Louis' soft cheeks, trying to steady the omega. 

 

"Don't hurt yourself," He said, though he quite enjoyed the feeling of the backs of Louis' thighs against his own. 

 

Louis pushed back further in lieu of an answer and looked back at Harry. He had a grin on his face. Harry slapped his ass cheek and watched as it bounced. The grin quickly faded from Louis' face and was replaced with a look of satisfaction. 

 

"Fuck," Marcel whispered, sounded strangled. Louis was trying to clench his hole around the two cocks, and it was as if the delicious heat surrounding them wasn't enough. They didn't think it could get any better, but it did. Louis was  _such_ a tease. They loved it. They let Louis use them to please himself, and twenty short minutes later, the blunt head of Edward's thick cock made an appearance underneath his brothers' own. 

 

Louis let out a sharp cry as his hole expanded to let in yet  _another_ alpha cock. His heart rate accelerated and he could feel the tingling in his fingertips. His toes curled and he lowered his head, resting it on Edward's slick shoulder. A hand ran down his back soothingly. Because of that, his body seemed to accept the intrusion. As if it wouldn't. His body was made to take knots, and though one was enough, it wouldn't hesitate to accept more. 

 

When all three alphas were enveloped inside of Louis' body, their tensions and stress seemed to melt away. Nothing mattered, nothing  _existed_ outside of their room. Their only focus was Louis, and his pleasure, and the fact that they were going to bond this creature and knot him and hope for a pup in nine months. A pup should be the product of their sweet lovemaking. Their dirty, passionate, downright  _filthy_ lovemaking. 

 

-

 

The position quickly changed when each alpha was to pop his knot. They settled in a heaping mess, ending with their heads next to the pillows and their feet at the end of the bed. Louis' heart was still racing and he couldn't contain his glee. He was about to bond with the three most gorgeous, infuriating creatures on the planet. His breathing increased when he felt their hot breath on his neck. Goosebumps littered his skin. 

 

It was an old wive's tale to bite as soon as your knot popped. It was said to increase the chances of a healthy pregnancy and the chance of an alpha male. Of course, it was an  _old_ old wive's tale, back when alpha males were supreme, and revered, more accepted than daughters, which was surprising, because having daughters was something of a privilege. 

 

When he felt their knots expanding inside of him, he braced himself. He held his breath as the first knot popped and the sharp teeth sank into his skin. He was still in a haze when the other two happened, but he felt everything. The immense pleasure he felt took him straight to the edge of bliss, and he felt his whole body relax, sinking into the three around him. 

 

-

 

When he woke next, he could think clearly and he felt different. He reached up and touched his neck in all three places that stung. He ran his fingers gently over each individual mark. He sighed contentedly. He was in heaven. He looked to each side and saw the brothers sleeping. Each one was exhausted, but satisfied. They were the most virile of their kind. They were  _alphas_ and they had a mate now. Their lives were complete. 

 

Louis sat up and winced at the amount of slick and come he was sitting in. He rolled his eyes to himself and glared over at Edward, simply because he was an alpha and he was closest. The least they could do was wipe him off or something. Now he was sticky and gross. He shook his head and crawled down the bed. When his feet hit the floor, he almost crumpled. His legs were shaky and he took a few unsteady steps to the bathroom. 

 

He was already naked, and he started the shower. He stared at his body in the mirror for a few minutes before getting in. His hair was a fucking mess and his body looked like it had been attacked by wolves. 

 

Well...

 

It had. But Jesus. He looked tired, but happy. He was glowing through his skin, and his bite marks, though still sore, were a beautiful accessory. He sighed and stepped into the shower. He tugged the curtain to conceal himself, and then stepped under the hot spray. He let the hot water cascade over his sore and worn out body, soothing the muscles and washing away the tension. 

 

He stood there for several minutes, until the curtain pulled back and Edward stepped in, looking sleepy and sated. He wrapped Louis up and held him, resting his head atop Louis'. Louis grumbled and pinched Edward's side. 

 

"Just because we're mated," He said, his voice soft under the spray. "Doesn't mean you can do whatever you'd like to me." 

 

Edward didn't move an inch. "It does, duckling." He responded. "You already let my brothers and I take you at the same time. I don't think we'll have a hard time asking for anything else." 

 

Louis blushed and buried his face in Edward's bare chest. His hole clenched at the thought of all three of them inside of him. It was a dream come true. "You won't," He agreed. Now that he was mated, he  _ached_ to serve them. He wanted to cook for them and clean for them and have their pups and make them all happy. They owned him. He was theirs now. 

 

"Your body is a paradise." Edward whispered into Louis' ear. To prove his point, he traced his fingers down Louis' wet side. 

 

"That's not what you said - " Louis' words were cut off by Edward's sharp growl. He closed his lips. 

 

"We won't discuss what I said then." Edward bit out. "What I said then was nothing but anger fueled nonsense. I wanted to hurt you and instead I hurt myself. I will spend the rest of my life making you feel like the princess that you are." With every word he said, his lips brushed against Louis' ear, and even the hot water and steam around them couldn't prevent the goosebumps. 

 

Louis put his hands on Edward's hips and spread his fingers out. He looked up at the alpha and blinked slowly. "I am a princess, aren't I?" He let a smile stretch across his face. 

 

Edward nipped at his skin playfully. He let his hands snake around Louis' body just to cup the omegas ass. "You  _are_." He promised. "Now turn around and let Daddy show you just how beautiful you are." 

 

-

 

Louis stumbled downstairs after Edward. He was pliant and sated and weak in the knees. He'd never once in his life been rimmed to the point of orgasm, let alone  _twice_ in a row. Edward's tongue in his ass was a religious experience. It was still early the next morning, maybe not even eight yet, but he was hungry, and the second his stomach growled, Edward was drying him off and pushing a shirt over his head. 

 

In the kitchen, Edward sat him right down on top of the counters and worked around him, cracking eggs and whisking batter. Louis offered to help, but his words fell on deaf ears. The way Edward saw it, Louis had just spent five days taking three very different, very large, cocks in his ass, at one point  _all_ of them at the same time, and he had countless orgasms. It was time for him to relax. 

 

"I can cook, dove." Edward said, pushing Louis' hands away for the umpteenth time. 

 

Louis pouted and hooked his legs around Edward's waist when the alpha was close enough. He used them to pull Edward closer. "I just want to help," He whined lowly, tracing a fingertip over Edward's bare skin. In the dim kitchen light, only a few of Edward's many scars were visible. 

 

Edward leaned over him. "You can help by sitting there and looking pretty." He commanded, pressing a chaste kiss to Louis' soft lips. "And you can focus on growing me a child while you're at it." 

 

The idea of pregnancy seemed so close yet so far away. He's thought about having pups for a long time now, and now that he has mates, it seemed like the appropriate thing to do. But he also knew that there was a possibility that he couldn't get pregnant. It had broken his sixteen year old heart when their doctor said to not get his hopes up. Of course, there were pills that he took for awhile, ones that promoted a healthy and stable environment for a baby, should he ever get pregnant, and he hoped those had helped. 

 

It was a secret that he would be keeping until the day he died. 

 

To him, not being able to get pregnant and bear pups was a weakness. Omegas were born specifically for breeding. What would they say if they found out that he couldn't do the one thing he was biologically programmed to do? 

 

They would give him up. They wouldn't ever want to see him again. Or, they'd keep him around just to boss him, and then go and find a capable omega, one with fertile eggs and friendly uterus. 

 

That would break his heart into a million pieces. He would die if that ever happened. 

 

"Little one," Edward said, waving his hand in front of Louis' face. "Are you in there?" 

 

Louis blinked a few times and looked up at Edward. "Oh." He blushed. "Sorry. I was just thinking." 

 

"About?" Edward asked, flipping some pork sausages. Louis worried about the popping grease jumping up onto Edward's bare skin. 

 

He shrugged, eager to change the subject. "Things." He swung his feet back and forth. "Is it..." He began, trailing off. Edward looked up after a few seconds of silence, eyebrows lifting. He was silently prompting Louis to continue. "Is it weird that we mated when only you and I have expressed our love?" 

 

Edward paused and looked mildly uncomfortable. "Well..." He said, turning to gather some plates. "No." He said, firmer this time. He sat the plates down and stood in front of Louis. He let his hands slide up Louis' bare thighs. "My brothers love you. They wouldn't allow themselves to mate with someone unless they were truly in love." 

 

That made Louis feel better. He allowed Edward to lift him from the counter and onto the floor. He danced around when the cold from the floor touched his bare feet. When Edward let out a rare chuckle, he glared back at him. 

 

"Rude." He sniffed, grabbing a plate. He had worked up an appetite the past week, and he was famished. He allowed Edward's hands to grope his behind as he filled his plate. When Edward's fingers dipped a little closely to where they shouldn't be, Louis stepped away. He ignored the pout on Edward's face and stood on his tiptoes to kiss his alpha. "Later." He promised, flitting off into the living room. He'd like to eat his breakfast and watch a little television. 

 

Behind him, Edward watched him go, shaking his head. He was completely in love with the fiery little omega. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i like the ellie goulding song 'on my mind' but it sounds like she slurs a lot of her words......anyone else notice that? get ahold of me on kik: happilylarry
> 
> did you all get the hint in the beginning note? i thought it was clever as fuck. 
> 
> Always in my heart reached 2Mil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	10. Chapter 10

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked back in the rear view mirror. He let out a little grumble when he saw Louis bouncing shallowly on Marcel's cock. He turned his eyes back to the barren road and tried not to pull over and join his brothers and mate. His  _mate_. He never thought he'd say that in a million years. He never thought he'd be tamable, then Louis came along and turned their lives upside down.

 

For the better, too. He loved the little omega, which is why he was trying his hardest to concentrate on the road ahead of him. The little sounds escaping Louis' lips left him breathless, and he could imagine what it was doing to his two brothers. Those lucky bastards. When Louis let out a particularly earth-shattering whimper, he tapped the breaks. He felt Edward's hand hit the back of his seat.

 

" _No_ ," Louis whined. "Keep going." 

 

Harry assumed Marcel tried to stop. Ever since they mated, Louis was _insatiable_. He had to be on a knot. He needed it to breathe, it seemed. Their little omega was a vixen, they'd come to realize. They  _loved_ it. 

 

"I have an idea," Harry spoke, trying not to inhale the sweet scent of Louis. "Let's all be quiet." Instead of an answer, he got a high-pitched moan and Louis' slapping his hands against the back of the seat, gripping it. Marcel had swiveled him around. He liked the reverse position. Mainly, he just looking at Louis' ass. Harry gripped the steering wheel tighter. His knuckles were white. 

 

"H-H-Harry," Louis whined in Harry's ear. His hot breath was fanning across Harry's face. His voice jumped with every thrust from Marcel. God was testing Harry right now. His mate was behind getting pleasured and he wasn't watching. What kind of alpha was he? He let out a deep breath and kept his eyes on the road. He needed to get them into town in one piece. 

 

When Louis' hand reached over and clawed at his chest, accompanied with moans, Harry swerved to the side of the road and came to a halt. He didn't even listen to the grunts his brothers gave as he turned around and got to his knees. He had to lean a bit so that he didn't hit his head against the roof of the truck. He looked down at Louis, who was staring at him through hazy blue eyes. 

 

He put both of his hands on Louis' cheeks and leaned down. Louis met him halfway and soon Harry was crawling into the backseat, allowing Louis to unbutton his jeans. 

 

-

 

They reached town a bit later than they wanted, and Edward was constantly checking his watch. They would inevitably take their time, replenishing what they'd used in the past month. He wanted to rush his brothers in getting new supplies, because the weather reports were calling for more snow, and he wasn't one to question the reports. They were always right. 

 

This time, everyone went to the bulk foods store, following behind Louis, as the omega took charge completely and almost left them in the dust. They gave Louis free reign and didn't even blink when they signed away a few hundred on their credit card. After packing away all of the groceries (Louis harped at them until they made sure to put all of the cold things in the cooler sitting in the back of the truck), they walked around the shopping center briskly. 

 

They split up in front of the hardware store. Edward and Harry went in to gather more supplies, and Marcel and Louis headed in the opposite direction, to a clothing store. Louis teased Marcel by trying on different types of tight jeans and printed leggings made for girls. The joke was over quickly when Marcel cornered him in the dressing room and forced him to buy the leggings. 

 

After that, he made sure to stock up on not only those but yoga pants as well. Marcel eyed him as he sidled up to a counter holding nothing but little lacy undergarments. He pretended not to hear the alpha's hitch in breath as he lifted a powder blue pair and studied it. He didn't even acknowledge the alpha until Marcel was standing right behind him, gripping his hips tightly. 

 

"You." He breathed into Louis' neck. "Are getting those." It wasn't a question, it was a demand. 

 

Louis bit his lip and nodded. "Maybe a few pairs?" He turned his head so that Marcel's lips were now brushing his smooth cheek. 

 

Marcel puckered his lips and left a damp kiss. "More than a few, dove." Again, a demand. "Every single pair in your size." He let his hands wander from Louis' hips down to his thighs, and up to his ass. He gave a hearty squeeze. 

 

Louis didn't answer him, choosing instead to search for his size. When he had two handfuls, he thought he would be done. Marcel only shook his head and took them from Louis' hands. The look on his face told Louis not to leave one pair behind. He stood patiently until Louis had gathered up every available size and only then did they head to the check out counter. The girl behind the counter couldn't hide her blush even if she wanted to. 

 

When they left the store with three bulging bags, instead of wandering around the little shopping center some more, they headed to the hardware store. Louis was aching to see his other two alphas. He didn't do well with being away from them for very long. Inside, Louis sniffed them out and tracked them to the paint aisle. He didn't give them any warning before he was jumping up into Edward's arms, wrapping his legs tightly around the alphas body. 

 

Edward didn't even stumble and he put his hands on Louis' bottom. "Hello there, duck." He greeted, planting a kiss atop Louis' forehead. "I take it you missed me?" 

 

"Both," Louis' voice was muffled. He pulled back and stared down at the alpha. From their position, he was a smidge taller. "I missed you both." He reached a hand out for Harry, who grasped it tightly and shuffled closer. Louis leaned over and gave Harry a kiss. 

 

"Did you have fun with Marcel?" Harry asked, shoving some paint samples in his pocket. 

 

Louis nodded. "I got some pretty things to show you." He smiled. 

 

"I hope you bought whatever your little heart desired," Edward said to Louis, but he looked at Marcel. Marcel nodding, confirming that Louis did in fact get whatever he wanted. Edward was satisfied with that answer. 

 

Louis slid down from Edward's arms, loving the way Edward's hands slid up his body as he went. When he had two feet on the floor, he wrapped his arms around Harry's waist. "Can we go home now?" He asked, looking up at Harry. "I want to show you all what I got." 

 

"We sure can, puppet." Harry nodded. Louis smiled triumphantly and walked with his mates towards the front of the store. Edward had already bought some things and had them put in his truck, and for the life of him, he couldn't think of anything more to get. As they walked outside to the truck, he noticed that the sky was getting that weird black/purple hue it always did before a big snow. 

 

"Are you hungry?" Marcel asked Louis as they hopped into the truck. It was Marcel's turn to drive, and he settled in front of the steering wheel. Louis sandwiched himself between Harry and Edward and glowed with the attention from the two. 

 

"Yes!" He said, buckling up. "Feed me." He pouted. 

 

Edward let his hand settle on Louis' thigh, fingers brushing dangerously close to where he wanted them the most. "You'll get your food, precious." He promised. "Where would you like to stop?" 

 

Louis looked out the windshield, up at the sky. He bit his bottom lip. "Can we stop? It's getting dark and I  _know_ you want to get home before then, Daddy." He said to Edward. He blinked slowly. 

 

Edward squeezed his thigh. "We can do anything you want to do, princess." Edward promised. "Now, tell Daddy where you want to eat." 

 

-

 

Surprisingly, they got home early enough. It wasn't even nine at night yet, and Edward assumed they'd get home around ten or eleven. They made good time, even after stopping to have sex in the back of the truck. They all went their separate ways, unloading the truck. Louis and Harry handled taking in the groceries, and Marcel and Edward pulled out the supplies and things they got at the hardware store. 

 

When they were all finished and the truck was parked in the garage, Harry locked the door to the cabin and headed into the kitchen. His brothers were all in there, helping put away the groceries. They took care of the canned goods, which had to be placed up high. Little Louis just couldn't reach. He began to help, handing off cans to his brothers. Louis was stuffing the refrigerator full. 

 

"Why don't we move closer to town?" Louis asked, turning to face the counters. He had a box of stuff that needed to be put in the deep freeze, such as different cuts of meats and frozen vegetables. "It would be a lot easier."

 

There was a deafening silence between the three brothers. Marcel almost dropped a can and Harry and Edward looked at each other. They hadn't even been mated for a week and already Louis was talking about moving them. It was strange and...they didn't like it. It felt like things were moving quickly. They wanted slow. 

 

Louis noticed the silence and looked up, hands holding a frozen chicken. "What?" He asked, looking between the three alphas. "Why did you get quiet?" 

 

"Well..." Marcel carefully and slowly sat the can up. He chose his words carefully. "Maybe that's a conversation for another time?" 

 

Louis furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?" He sat the chicken down and wiped his hands on his jeans. 

 

Edward stepped forward. "We just feel, darling, that maybe you're moving a bit too fast for us." 

 

The frown stayed on Louis' face. "How?" He asked. 

 

"We've only just mated." Harry said. "There is a time and place for these conversations, and sadly, this is not it." 

 

Louis raised his eyebrows. "So you three can talk about having pups all you want, expecting me to go right along with it, but the second I bring up  _moving_ , you think it's too fast?" He challenged. 

 

"It's different, doll." Edward explained coolly. "As alphas, our main desire and  _need_ in life is to sire pups. It's all we think about. And when we get an omega, well..." He shrugged. "It's our biological need to make you pregnant as soon as possible." 

 

Louis kept his mouth shut about his problems and instead frowned. "That makes no sense." He said. "Talking about houses isn't a big deal." 

 

"To us, it is." Marcel said quietly. 

 

"How?" Louis glared at Marcel. 

 

"The point is," Edward cut in sharply. "It's different, and we will talk about it no longer." 

 

Louis narrowed his eyes and stepped away from the counter. "Sorry, but you don't decide when I'm done discussing things." 

 

"But we do," Edward said calmly. "I'm afraid, dear, in this union, the alpha has the last say." 

 

"Yes," Louis agreed. "If this was a hundred years ago." 

 

Edward shook his head slowly. "If this was a hundred years ago, you would have already been beaten into submission." He stated. 

 

A little sliver of fear spiked inside of Louis as he stared at the alpha in front of him. "Are you threatening to beat me?" He asked, controlling the quiver in his voice. 

 

"Of course not, angel. I'm merely stating a fact." Edward answered. 

 

"With the intention of scaring me?" Louis challenged. 

 

Edward sighed, as if this conversation was taking a physical toll on him. "Darling, why can't you just agree with everything we say and be done with it?" 

 

"Oh?" Louis asked, raising his eyebrows. "You want me to be pliant? To submit to you and your every word?" He asked. "To not have an opinion?" His voice raised a few octaves. "Be careful what you wish for,  _alpha_." He stormed out of the kitchen in a huff. 

 

Marcel sighed. "You just  _have_ to pick fights, don't you?" He asked his older brother. 

 

Edward grinned. "Keeps things interesting, baby brother." 

 

-

 

By the time they had everything unpacked and headed upstairs, Louis was already asleep. Of course, he was in the middle of the bed, so Harry nudged his shoulder. Normally, the movement would wake Louis up and he would grumble about making room for the brothers, but this time, he simply rolled to the edge of the bed, leaving the rest empty. Harry looked up, confused. 

 

Marcel shrugged. "Beats me." He whispered, tossing his shirt to the floor. He climbed into bed and molded himself around Louis. 

 

"Who's to say you get to sleep next to him?" Edward asked, looming at the foot of the bed. He was completely naked. "Shuffle him to the center again." 

 

"That's where he just was." Harry reminded Edward. He climbed in behind Marcel and snuggled up. Edward rolled his eyes and climbed in beside Harry. 

 

"You three make we want to drink." He grumbled, turning his back to Harry. He punched his pillow a few times and laid his head down on the soft cotton. 

 

"Love you too, Edward." Marcel said sarcastically. 

 

"Don't turn your back to me," Harry pouted, pinching Edward's side. "What if I want to rub off on you?" 

 

Edward groaned and turned around. "Do you?" He asked his little brother. 

 

Harry shrugged. "Not right now, but maybe in the morning." He answered, closing his eyes and turning around. His back was now towards Edward and Edward rolled his eyes. His brothers were so fucking stupid. 


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, Edward laid in bed and watched Louis walk around their room, picking up stray pieces of clothing, tossing them in the laundry basket under his arms. He was wearing one of their shirts, which hung off of him, and he had on a new pair of yoga pants. Every time he bent down, Edward's briefs became a bit tighter. 

 

"Louis," He said quietly. 

 

Louis stopped what he was doing and looked over at Edward. "Yes, alpha?" He asked. 

 

"What are you doing, baby," Edward asked. 

 

"Cleaning, alpha." Louis replied. He gestured to the laundry basket. Edward was puzzled. Normally, Louis would roll his eyes and huff every time he had to pick up an article of clothing. But this time, he was doing it and he stayed quiet. 

 

"Why?" Edward questioned, propping his hands behind his head. 

 

"Because your house must always be clean." Louis answered, lowering his head a bit. It was a tell-tale sign of submission - not looking your alpha in the face while talking to them. Edward sat up and beckoned the omega closer. 

 

"What are you talking about?" He asked, wrapping a large paw around Louis' delicate wrist. Louis let him. 

 

"I'm talking about keeping the home clean for my alphas," Louis replied. "As it should be. Is there anything specific you'd like me to do?" 

 

Edward smirked, dirty mind be damned. "If you're offering, kitten..." 

 

"I'll do whatever pleases my alpha." Louis said softly. At that, Edward dropped Louis wrist. The mood was completely gone. He sat back on the bed and stared at Louis. 

 

"And what about your pleasure?" He cocked his brow at Louis. 

 

"My pleasure comes from yours." Louis replied, head still bowed. 

 

"So if I just held you down and took you without your consent?" Edward asked. "If I held your wrists and fucked you until you bled? You'd get pleasure from that?" Louis paused, and Edward stood up from the bed. He stared Louis up and down before heading towards the door. "I didn't think so." He said, stepping out into the hallway. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he paused, staring at his two brothers. 

 

"We take it you've met the new Louis?" Marcel asked, arms crossed. 

 

Edward nodded slowly and made his way across the white carpet. He collapsed onto the couch next to Harry. "What's with him?" 

 

Harry shot Edward a dirty look. "It's your fault. He's doing this because of what you said last night." 

 

Edward frowned. What did he say last night? "What did I say last night?" He asked, turning from brother to brother. 

 

Marcel huffed. "That thing about being an omega a hundred years ago. Beating him into submission or something like that." 

 

"I never said I would beat him!" Edward exclaimed wildly. 

 

"You insinuated that you would have if this was a hundred years ago," Harry corrected Marcel's words. "And then he got mad and said something about you wanting a submissive omega, one that rolled over and took orders." He reached out and hit Edward's thigh. "Fucker."

 

Edward growled and stood up. He faced his brothers with his hands on his hips. "This isn't my fault, dipshits." 

 

"When is it not?" Harry mumbled under his breath. 

 

"What do you mean, it's not your fault?" Marcel challenged. 

 

"It's the fact that we have that frustrating, challenging, fiery little thing upstairs!" Edward exclaimed once more. "He's doing this to punish me." He let out a few deep breaths, and then sniffed the air. "What the fuck is that smell?" 

 

Harry shifted further into the couch, arms still crossed. "He's fucking making potpourri." He grumbled. 

 

Edward sank back down into the couch. "God help us." 

 

-

 

All day, the alphas watched as Louis puttered around, dusting off picture frames and flitting in and out of the kitchen. The omega had been baking up a storm all day, but that was nothing unusual. Louis would bake twenty-four-seven if he could. The only good thing that came out of it was that the three brothers got to eat unlimited pies and cakes. Those were good. 

 

But it was frustrating, because whenever they'd say something to Louis that would otherwise get a snarky reply, they'd only get a " _Yes, alpha_ " in return. Louis seemed to be agreeing with everything they said. 

 

They hated it. 

 

Dinnertime was a fun affair. Louis seated each brother down at the table and served them himself. He gave them heaping spoonfuls of everything that he cooked, making sure that they had enough and that their drink glasses were full. He ran back and forth from the kitchen to serve them. It was kind of nice, but it was wrong. Louis was the omega, and regardless of omegas being taught to keep the home and make the alpha happy, the alpha needed to make sure the omega was happy and safe. Well taken care of. 

 

"Sit." Edward ordered to Louis. Louis paused, arm hovering over Harry's plate. He was dropping a few home-made dinner rolls onto his mate's plate. "Now." He stared Louis down until the omega lowered himself into the chair. He looked so small sitting next to all three of them. 

 

"But alpha -" Louis began quietly, standing up once more. He kept his eyes lowered and made quick work of dishing out more dinner rolls. When he approached Edward's chair, Edward hooked an arm around Louis' waist, making the omega freeze. 

 

"No buts, princess." He shook his head. He lowered Louis down onto his lap. "When I say to do something, you do it." He said into Louis' ear. He nosed at the soft skin of his mate. "Now, be a good boy for me and stop the act." 

 

"If I don't?" Louis asked. The hint of the old-him shined through. 

 

"If you don't," Edward said, nipping at Louis' earlobe. "I'll be forced to spank your delicious bottom." 

 

-

 

Twenty minutes later, Louis was clawing at Edward's chest, on his hands and knees, hovering over the smug alpha. Marcel was behind him, eating his ass like it was his last meal. He growled when Louis tried to clamp his legs together, and he forced them apart once more. He said a silent prayer and buried his face once more between Louis' soft cheeks. 

 

"You like that, huh?" Edward smirked, thriving with the way Louis' fingernails tore at his chest. The omega was writhing on top of him, letting out breathless little moans. His hot puffs of breath hit Edward's face. "How many times do you think you can come tonight?" 

 

Louis had already come three times in the past twenty minutes, and it seemed like the brothers wanted more. His whole body was like a live wire. He was shaking with pleasure, and he let out a sob at Edward's question. 

 

" _Please_ , Daddy," He begged. Enough with the teasing. He wanted a knot. He focused his eyes on Edward, who was grinning below him. He looked like that cat who got the canary. 

 

"How can I help you, kitten?" Edward asked casually. His hands weren't even on Louis' body. It was driving him mad. 

 

He whined and buried his face in Edward's neck. He gripped onto Edward's biceps for dear life as he rocked back onto Marcel's tongue. "Touch me, Daddy." He begged Edward. "Please, please - " 

 

"If that's what you want, baby." Edward finally wrapped his big paws around Louis' waist and held him still. It was easier for Marcel to fuck his tongue in and out of Louis' hole when Louis was still. Louis arched his back obscenely, and across the room, Harry lost it. He stopped stroking his own cock and stood. 

 

"Somebody better fuck him." He demanded. He joined his brothers on the bed and pushed the hair away from Louis' sweaty forehead. "Hiya, baby." He greeted. 

 

Louis barely acknowledged him. "I want - " He breathed out. "A  _knot_." 

 

"You'll get your knot, flower." Edward promised. "All in good time." 

 

-

 

 One long, never-ending hour later, Louis was laying sideways on the bed, enveloped in the big, sweaty bodies of his three mates. He was breathing heavily, cursing the alpha stamina that let them fuck for days at a time. His heart was jack-rabbiting in his chest and he was positive the alphas could hear it. He was also positive they were smug about it. 

 

Marcel let his hand trail down Louis' thigh. "Feeling okay?" He asked his omega. 

 

Louis blinked up at him. Marcel loved the way Louis' cheeks were still pink. "Mhm." He answered. He slid his fingers across Marcel's toned chest. "Finally." 

 

Behind him, Edward shifted, making his presence known. Harry was asleep, so it was only the three. "We had to break you out of your little stunt." He said, kissing Louis' shoulder. 

 

Louis turned to stare at Edward. "Or, you know, maybe it was  _me_ who pulled  _you_ out of  _your_ little stunt." 

 

Marcel let out a bark of laughter and Edward simply rolled his eyes. He leaned forward to press a tiny little kiss on Louis' lips. "Whatever you want to think, precious." 

 

-

 

A week and a half later, when the three alphas were down in the survival room, touching it up, Louis scurried to the bathroom and locked himself in. He dropped to his knees in front of the counter and opened it up. He dug around all the way in the back and came out with a few pregnancy tests. They were the best money could buy, and he had to sneak them into the grocery cart when his mates weren't looking. 

 

He stood back up and read the directions. When he was sure he could do it, he did it. When he was done, he washed his hands. He had eight sticks laying on the counter. He set the timer on Marcel's phone for five minutes and proceeded to pace, biting his nails. His stomach was flipping for some reason. Maybe he was nervous. Yeah, he was most definitely nervous. 

 

After being knotted for what seemed like months on end, he was bound to be pregnant. There was no reason he shouldn't be. As he paced, he prayed that he was. All his mates had been talking about nonstop was siring a child. Or children. They wanted more than one. It was stressing Louis out far more than it needed to. He had no idea what he would do if he wasn't pregnant. 

 

His alphas had been waiting for a shift in his scent for weeks, and so far, nothing. He kept telling himself that it was just so early, but deep, deep down, he knew that he probably wasn't pregnant. When the timer went off, he closed his eyes and stood in front of the tests. He counted to three, and looked down. 

 

Eight negative signs stared up at him. 


	12. Chapter 12

Discouraged with how things were turning out, Louis decided to call his mother. He borrowed Marcel's phone a few days later and again locked himself in the bathroom. His mates were outside, shoveling paths through the snow. He'd be safe to talk to her for at least twenty minutes. Maybe longer if he was lucky. He dialed the number he knew by heart and waited.

 

She answered almost immediately. "Louis, baby!" She cried into the receiver. "How are you?"

 

"I'm great, mom." He said, keeping his voice level. "There's actually a reason I called."

 

"Do you need us to come and get you?" She asked, motherly instincts coming out strong. "Are they beating you?"

 

He laughed under his breath and toed at the rug in front of the shower. "No. They're kind." He assured her.

 

She let out a relieved breath. "Good. Now, what's up? You sound a bit nervous."

 

He hesitated before talking. He didn't want to alarm his mom at all. "Well, okay, so do you remember that doctors appointment I had a few years back?" He asked.

 

Jay knew right away what he was talking about. That doctors appointment had made him upset for weeks afterwards. She hated seeing her baby like that. "I do," She said slowly. "Why are you asking?"

 

"I can't remember exactly what the doctor said." He replied. "Did he say that it would be difficult for me to bear pups or did he say it was impossible?" He chewed on his lip while waiting for her to answer.

 

She paused. "He said it would be difficult," She said slowly. "But he also said not to get your hopes up." She sounded heartbroken by that. "Why? Is something going on? Are you four thinking about pups?"

 

Louis sighed and stared at the wall in front of him. He sat on the closed toilet lid. "They've been talking about having pups for weeks, mom." He said. "They're so excited."

 

"Have you all...?" Jay asked. She already knew they mated, but she hated thinking about her son being knotted. There were just some things parents were better off not knowing.

 

"Yes." Louis answered. "Sorry mom, but multiple times."

 

"And nothing?" Jay asked. "You've taken tests?"

 

"I've taken so many tests, mom." Louis said sadly. "They're all negative."

 

"I'm assuming they don't know?" Jay asked. She sighed into the phone.

 

"No." Louis whispered. "What am I supposed to tell them? Oh, hey, by the way, there's a really good chance you won't ever get pups if you stick with me."

 

"Louis!" Jay scolded. "If they truly love you, it won't matter. Alphas don't need to reproduce. They do it to prove themselves. Their virility or something like that. And it's not your fault that you can't bear pups."

 

"Actually, it sort of is," Louis corrected her.

 

"It's not," She said fiercely. "Stop saying that. I'm sure that you can get pregnant. Just give it time."

 

Louis huffed. "It's been long enough. I should be pregnant." He slumped over, defeated. "Why does this happen to me? I find three perfect alphas who want nothing more than to sire a few pups, and I can't even do that. I can't do the one fucking thing I was born to do."

 

"Watch your tongue," Jay chided. "And listen to me. If they truly love you, like I said, it won't matter. Sure, it might be a blow to their egos, but it has nothing to do with you. You're perfect."

 

"They might not think that." Louis sighed. "Anyway, I just called to ask you that."

 

"That's it?" Jay asked. "Are you okay, sweetie? Do you need to have some time away from them? To clear your head?"

 

"I'm fine." He answered. He wasn't.

 

"Are you going to tell them?" Jay asked. Her heart was breaking for her son and his situation.

 

"I don't think so. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing wrong with me." Louis replied. "But I love you mom. Thank you."

 

"You're welcome, Lou. Call again soon. Maybe you'll catch your father one of these times. He's found a bit of work, and it excites him."

 

"Really? That's amazing!" Louis was so proud of his father. Finding work in their small town wasn't really easy. "Give him my love, but I have to go now."

 

"Will do. Take care, darling." Jay said, blowing a kiss through the phone. Louis smiled and hit the red button to end the call. He sighed and tried to clear his head before standing. There was so much going on with him right now, and he had no idea how to process it. It would just be better if he kept it to himself until he could find the courage to admit that he was pretty much a failure at being an omega.

 

He clutched Marcel's phone in his hand and unlocked the bathroom door. He swung it open and flicked off the light. But something wasn't quite right. With a hesitation, he lifted his head and stared straight into Edward's eyes. He dropped Marcel's phone. It landed next to Harry, who was leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed. Marcel had his hands shoved in his pockets.

 

They all looked mad.

 

-

 

"I wish I could find some kindness in my soul to let you fucking explain, but I really don't think I have any." Edward exploded shortly after. Louis managed to chase the three angry alphas downstairs, where they all stood now.

 

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Harry yelled, fuming. Even Marcel looked angry at him, which was never good. Marcel was always the mediator, the one who supported Louis when things got a bit rough.

 

"I wasn't!" Louis replied honestly. He wasn't thinking. He tried to grab onto Edward's arm, to reason with him, maybe get him to calm down, but the larger alpha shook him off. He was uninterested. "Please, you guys have to understand - "

 

"Understand?" This time it was Marcel who bellowed. "Understand? You kept this important secret from us for months!"

 

Louis shrank in on himself a bit. Shouting Marcel was scary. "I didn't know how to tell you all!"

 

"So instead you let us keep talking about having pups when you knew it wasn't possible?" Harry asked sarcastically. Sarcastic Harry was the worst. He always made Louis feel so bad about himself.

 

"I wasn't thinking - " Louis began.

 

"No, you fucking weren't." Edward barked. "Did you just think it wasn't important enough to let us know that it's impossible for us to sire a pup?"

 

"It is important," Louis clasped his hands together. He looked from each alpha. "And there's still a possibility!" He tried to say it in a cheerful way. All three scowled at him.

 

"We heard both sides of the conversation," Marcel said coldly.

 

Louis' shoulders slumped. He looked at them pleadingly. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. "I'm a failure as an omega. I can't give you what you want."

 

"Yes," Edward said with no emotion. He stared straight at Louis. "We know."

 

Louis was pretty sure they could hear his heart breaking.

 

-

 

After that, everyone sort of distanced themselves. The three brothers stayed close together and Louis was left alone with his thoughts. He figured that he'd make them all a nice dinner of their favorite foods, to apologize again. Or at least soften them up so that he could explain everything to them. As he cooked, he planned his speech in his mind, listing everything they might possibly say. He thought of fake questions and answers as well. He was fully prepared.

 

He forced a smile as he made their plates for them and it dropped as soon as they headed to the dining room. He let out a breath and made his own plate. He carried it with him to the dining room a few minutes later. As soon as he walked through the door, his mates became quiet. He stood there awkwardly as they stared coldly at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He nodded once before turning on his heel. He dropped his plate onto the counter and stifled a sob with his fist. He had so many emotions coursing through his body and he had no idea how to handle them.

 

He scraped his plate off into the trash and cleaned his dishes. He left the food out and went into the living room. He sat in the window seat and stared out at the white surrounding their cabin. There had been more snow falling rapidly and he loved watching it. It reminded him that it was almost Christmas and he began to think of the ways they would all spend it together.

 

That is, if they forgave him in the month and a half before the holiday. He sighed and leaned his head against the cold window. His heart hurt and he wanted to cry at the way things were turning out. He understood their anger, but they needed to understand why he kept it to himself. They needed to give him a chance to explain.

 

-

 

Louis took his time cleaning up the dishes. It gave him time to think some more, still repeating the conversations in his head. When he was done and the kitchen was spotless, he flicked off the light and headed towards the stairs. The house was dark and the bright light from the moon shone into the living room and onto the stairs. It cast an eerie, haunting shadow that would have frightened Louis if he lived out here all alone.

 

He climbed the stairs and the closer he got to their bedroom, the faster his heart beat. He was beyond nervous. When he reached the door, he turned the knob, ready to fall fast asleep. Except, the door was locked. They'd locked him out. Tears flooded his eyes, blurring his vision. He let go of the doorknob as if had burned him. He stared down at it.

 

"Oh." He said dejectedly. He turned on his heel and slowly made his way to his old bedroom. He creaked the door open and stepped inside the frigid room. Goosebumps appeared all over his skin and he cursed himself for not wearing a sweater. He wasn't really even in his pajamas technically. But, the yoga pants and thin shirt would have to make due.

 

He climbed into the bed and pulled the thin quilt over his body. When he was comfortable, he began to cry.

 

-

 

Marcel laid in bed next to his brothers. They were all staring at the ceiling. It was so quiet in their room you could hear a pin drop. They were listening. Marcel let out a noise and sighed.

 

"He's crying." He told Harry and Edward. "Again." He doesn't know about his brothers, but when Louis began crying in the kitchen earlier, it broke his heart in two. If he wasn't so angry, maybe he'd console the omega.

 

"Yes, well." Edward said, but cut himself off. He really had nothing else to say. They kept silent for a long time.

 

"He's asleep." Marcel said sometime later. He was glad that one of them could sleep. He trained his ears on the little puffs of breath from Louis a few doors down. "Finally." He tacked on.

 

"If you're trying to get us to feel sympathy for him," Harry said slowly. "It's not working."

 

Marcel sighed. "I know. I'm angry at him too."

 

Edward clapped his hands together and closed his eyes. "Well, brothers. There's no point in wasting sleep."

 

Marcel rolled his eyes. "It's not wasting sleep." He growled. "I'm only concerned for the well-being of our omega."

 

"Then why did you lock him out?" Harry shot over Edward.

 

Marcel bit his lip. He didn't want to sleep next to someone who had lied to him. "I had my reasons."

 

"And is he our mate still?" Edward asked, eyes still closed.

 

"Yes," Marcel snapped. "Regardless of the fact he can't provide..." He trailed off with every word he spoke. "The one thing we want most." He sighed heavily. One part of him was so angry at Louis for lying, and the other part wanted to understand why he did it. But he just couldn't.

 

"Go to sleep." Harry finally said. He turned onto his side and closed his eyes.

 

Marcel didn't. He stayed awake and listened Louis. He listened to the little hitches in the omegas breath, meaning that he was dreaming of something not-so-pleasant, and he heard Louis' heart rate increase, and he heard the heartbreaking sobs Louis let out when he woke up and found himself unable to go back to sleep. Marcel's not for certain, but he believes that Louis finally found sleep again just as the first morning rays were coming through the windows.


	13. Chapter 13

With his alphas still not really talking to him, Louis was growing sick. It made him upset to the point where he had to go and lay down. Of course, being pretty much abandoned affected all omegas differently, ranging from sadness for a little while to full blown depression. He didn't think he would get that far, but right now, he felt pretty close. He couldn't do a single thing right, and even Edward had agreed that he was a failure as an omega. 

 

-

 

Marcel sat the book he was reading in his lap and sniffed the air. He sighed and looked over at his brothers. "He's sad again." He said. The air had been permeated for the past week with Louis' sadness. They had almost gotten used to it. 

 

"When is he not?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes. He and Edward had no shred of sympathy for the lying creature upstairs. Edward said nothing. 

 

"You guys are being unfair." Marcel complained. "He's still our omega." 

 

"Is he?" Edward finally asked. "Is he really? An omega, I mean. Because he can't do the one thing he's supposed to do so..." 

 

"That's cruel." Marcel snapped to his older brother. "We have no idea what he can or can't do because I guess we aren't giving him the chance to explain." 

 

"What's there to explain?" Harry asked. "He lied to us. He planned on  _never_ telling us. He was probably going to let it think that it was our fault. That's not okay, Marcel." 

 

Marcel sighed. "I know, I know." He closed his book. The mood to read had passed. "I'm angry about it, I just...I don't know." He shrugged. He listened some more to the movements from Louis. He heard the soft pitter-patter of the omegas feet, and then the telltale sign of a bed settling. "He's in our room." 

 

"Go and remove him," Harry suggested. 

 

"That's sick, Harry." Marcel growled. "I refuse to physically remove our sick, sad omega." 

 

Edward shrugged. "I don't want him spreading germs to our pillows." 

 

"In case you forgot, that room is for him too. And you won't get sick. We never get sick, moron." 

 

"Still," Harry agreed with Edward. "It's the fact that germs are on the pillows." 

 

Marcel threw his book in their direction, narrowly avoiding Harry's shoulder. "You two are disgusting." 

 

-

 

"Well, go on now." Edward pushed Marcel forward. Marcel stumbled into the bedroom and caught himself. He reared back and glared at Edward. The room was as dark and cold as can be, which helped with Louis' headache. With their excellent eyesight, they stared the the shape on the bed that was Louis covered up to the eyes with heavy quilts. 

 

"No," Marcel shook his head and stepped back. "I'm not going to be the one who moved him. That's cruel. He's ill, you fuckers." 

 

Harry waved off the statement and stepped forward. He pushed Marcel out of the way and walked over to the bed. He leaned down and paused for several seconds before standing straight back up. He turned and walked back over to his brothers. 

 

"What?" Edward asked. 

 

"He's uh..." Harry rubbed at the back of his neck. "I can't do it. Marcel's right. He's sick and he's finally settled down in here. I don't want to be the one to move him." 

 

Edward rolled his eyes and pushed Harry out of his way. "Weaklings." He muttered. He pulled the quilt off of Louis' body and and scooped up the small omega. He ignored how easily Louis' body molded in his arms and he definitely ignored the way Louis let out a content sigh. He found himself unable to take a step. He cursed under his breath and lowered Louis back onto the bed. He tossed the quilt back over his mate's body and stormed out of the bedroom, angry at his own weakness. 

 

-

 

After nearly five days of being completely avoided by his  _mates_ , Louis made a decision. Clearly they didn't want to stay mated anymore, and though it broke his heart to think about, he figured that if he left, it would be for the better. Of course, he didn't have any clothes with him when he came, and he would leave everything they bought him behind. Maybe they could return everything for credit. 

 

He walked slowly down the stairs, playing with the hem of the sweater that was  _way_ too big on him. He knew from his many sleepless nights that sometimes the three brothers would come down to the living room and talk, maybe drink a few beers or maybe a bottle of scotch. Many nights he wished he was sitting between them, listening to their conversations. They probably always talked about him, but his hearing was weaker than theirs. 

 

He paused at the bottom step before entering the dark living room. The fireplace and the moon were the only sources of light, and it made the three alphas look eerie. The silence that fell upon the room didn't help either. They were all staring at him. He stepped forward, still playing with the hem of the sweater. 

 

"Um." He squeaked. "I think I'd like to leave now." 

 

A frown took over Harry's features, and the alpha leaned forward. "Why?" He sounded concerned, which shocked Louis to his core. Didn't they all hate him? Why weren't they agreeing with him? In his mind, the truck was already running and they were halfway to the train station. 

 

His eyes darted from alpha to alpha. "I didn't - I don't -" He paused, before bursting into tears. "I want a baby," He said between sobs. He pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes and turned away from his audience.  _Why did he have to go and ruin it? Why couldn't he just have said what he wanted to say?_

 

Behind him, all three alphas slowly stood. Marcel, being as kindhearted and sympathetic as he was, stepped forward.  "Louis - " He said, reaching forward to place his hand on Louis' shoulder. It shook with each sob. 

 

"I just want a  _baby_ ," Louis cried. "But more importantly, I want  _you three_." He could hardly breathe with how hard he was crying but he needed to get everything out in the open. "And you don't want me." 

 

"That's not true," Marcel shook his head. Harry and Edward were staring at the omega with bewildered expressions. 

 

"It  _is_ ," Louis insisted. 

 

Marcel stepped even closer and wrapped both of his arms around Louis. It was really the only way he knew how to deal with this situation. "Louis, you need to calm down. I promise, if you calm down, we can talk about everything." He led Louis over to the couch and sat down beside him. 

 

It took awhile for Louis to calm down, and once he did, each alpha struggled to look at his perfect, tear-stained face. It hurt them knowing that they had caused it. When Louis opened his mouth to talk, they listened. 

 

"I didn't mean to keep it a secret." He began. "Well, yes I did." He took a deep breath and avoided eye contact. He stared at his lap instead. "You three had great expectations. You wanted babies upon babies and every time you talked about it, I died a little bit inside." 

 

"Why did you not tell us?" Harry asked, his voice low and quiet. 

 

"I didn't - I didn't want you all to leave me. And it's embarrassing. I'm supposed to give you everything you want, and I can't." He finally glanced up at Harry. "Well, no one's for sure." 

 

"What do you mean?" Marcel asked. 

 

"I never really got a clear answer," Louis replied. "When I went to the doctors. They said it's a possibility that I might not be able to carry, but I shouldn't get my hopes up." He looked over at Harry and Edward. "I don't want to stop trying, though. I don't want to give up." 

 

"I'm sorry," Marcel apologized. "For all the grief you've been suffering alone. I'm truly sorry that we never gave you the chance to explain. We haven't been acting like your mates, and we certainly haven't been acting like alphas." He reached forward and grabbed Louis' hand in his. "You have every right not to forgive us." 

 

Louis wiped at his eyes and sniffled. "Okay." He said. "I don't forgive you. Not just yet, but can I sleep in your bed tonight?" All three of them had noticed the bags under Louis' eyes, and the omegas exhaustion was present in the way he walked and talked. He needed sleep,  _badly_. 

 

Marcel nodded. "Forever." He promised. 

 

-

 

Later that night, Louis crawled out from between his mates and padded to the bathroom. No sooner than he'd closed the door, Edward stealthily wormed his way in. Louis looked up in surprise. Edward hadn't said anything to him in a few days. But now, the alpha looked like he had loads to say. But instead of talking, he leaned down and gathered Louis into this arms. 

 

Louis immediately relaxed, almost going limp with relief. Edward wasn't very affectionate, nor was he good with apologizing, but Louis considered this the  _sorry_. He knew just by the way Edward held him that he was sorry. Louis let out a sigh of content and let Edward hold him. It felt good to be back in his alphas arms again. He'd missed the warmth. 

 

They stayed like that in the middle of the bathroom for quite sometime, and when Louis yawned, Edward was moving them back into the bedroom, still holding Louis like his life depended on it. They settled right back onto the bed, and Louis was caged between Marcel and Edward. He let their broad shoulders and strong arms protect him as he sank into the bed. Their masculine scent calmed him right down, and Edward's fingers running down his back sent him right into the most peaceful sleep he's ever had. 

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

Louis stood in calf-deep snow, which was stained blood red, in front of his alpha. Ever since their little fight, they were calling it, Edward had been non-stop apologizing, and in unconventional ways. He would wake Louis up with a nice breakfast in bed,  _sorry_ , he would feed the little omega until he was full,  _sorry_ , he would draw Louis baths and massage his shoulders,  _sorry_. This time, it was a dead stag laying at his feet. 

 

 _Sorry_. 

 

Louis hesitated before lifting his hand. He patted Edward's skull and tried not to stare back at the cold, black, dead eyes of the stag. "Thank you, Edward." He said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. "Thank you."

 

Edward's wolf pawed at the ground and preened at the praise he got. He was providing for his omega. He found the biggest, most delicious stag in their forest and he killed it. He brought home the bacon and Louis was proud of him. He was the Alpha Male. 

 

"Wouldn't you like to come inside and shower now?" Louis asked, crouching down on clean snow to rub at Edward's muzzle. Edward's wolf didn't like that, and he shook his large head back and forth. He pawed at the stag, getting his paw all wet with blood. 

 

Behind them on the porch, Marcel chuckled. "You have to eat it." He informed Louis. 

 

Louis barely managed to mask the look of disgust that crossed his face. He turned to Marcel. "Wait, really? As a human? Or do I have to shift?" 

 

A wistful look crossed Marcel's face. They hadn't seen Louis' wolf yet, and each alpha had a clear picture in their mind on what he might look like. No doubt beautiful and majestic, maybe slight but strong. Definitely smaller than them. Deliciously smaller, in fact. He shook his head sadly. "No. He wants you to eat it now. To show that you're pleased with him." 

 

Louis hesitated and turned back to Edward, who was now nudging the carcass closer. Louis held his hands up. "Okay, Edward!" He shrieked when the frozen leg of the stag hit his shin. "How about you go and shower, and I'll join you?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively. "If I don't have to eat this, I'll shower with you." 

 

Edward's wolf froze. Ever since Louis had sort-of forgiven them, all sexual activities and contact were prohibited. Louis put a halt on all of it. It frustrated each of them but they understood. Louis was almost traumatized with everything that had happened - with them isolating him because of his struggles with fertility. So, he let his bones and muscles shift and snap into place. It only took a few seconds before he was standing tall and naked in front of Louis. 

 

Louis let his eyes slip down to Edward's manhood, which was standing at full attention. From there, his eyes moved upwards, over the alphas bloodstained torso. When his eyes met Edward's feral ones, he smiled weakly. 

 

"Shower?" He asked, hoping to forget all about the stag dead at their feet. 

 

Edward nodded and stepped forward. "Meet you there, kitten." He was gone in a flash, leaving a trail of bright red behind him. Louis turned back and looked at Marcel. 

 

"What are we going to do with this?" He asked, gesturing to the dead animal. 

 

"Harry will take care of it." Marcel assured him. Louis accepted the answer and headed towards the front door. He shuddered when Marcel said, "Harry likes stag. It's his favorite."

 

-

 

Edward let his fingertips skate over the warm, wet skin of Louis' body. Soap suds danced alongside them and made the skin slicker, easier to glide across. He traced his name over and over again into the skin of Louis' back, down to his ass. As he traced the letters over the omegas supple cheeks, he desperately wished that Louis would get their names tattooed across his magnificent ass. 

 

"Can I turn around now?" Louis asked, breaking Edward out of his fantasy. "I've been  _drowning_ under the spray." 

 

Edward looked down. Louis was right. He'd been pushed right under the hot spray and let Edward have all of his fun. Edward stepped back with Louis, who turned to let the water hit his back. Edward reached forward and began tracing his name across Louis' chest. 

 

"What are you doing?" Louis asked, soaping up his hands. He rubbed them up and down Edward's arms. The blood had been washed away early, because Louis refused to step into the shower until Edward was semi-clean and free of all animal blood. 

 

"Wishing my name would appear across your skin." He said quietly, eyes narrowed in concentration. He bit his plush lip as he made a particularly curly  _E_. 

 

"I think the bond mark is enough," Louis remarked, rubbing soapy circles across Edward's pecs. Edward stiffened when his fingers brushed over his nipples. "Besides, why do I have to be the one to get your name all over my body? Why can't you put my name on yours?" He tapped his fingers out right over Edward's heart. "Right here. My name would look perfect right here." 

 

Edward's breath caught in his throat.  _Why had he never thought of that? Louis' name_ would _look perfect right there._ Louis was a genius. He had the worlds smartest omega standing right in front of him. 

 

Louis caught on to the look on Edward's face. "I was kidding," He said. "Don't get my name tattooed  _anywhere_ on your body. I mean it, Edward." 

 

"Yes, wife." Edward rolled his eyes. He would do what he pleased, when he pleased. 

 

Louis scoffed at the title. "And here I was, going to let you wash my - " 

 

Edward's face lit up. His hands snaked around Louis' body and landed right on his cheeks. He squeezed them. He jiggled them. He  _loved_ them. He purred at the weight in his hands. 

 

" - hair." Louis finished. "I was going to let you wash my hair, you dirty neanderthal. Get your huge paws off of me this instant. I am a lady." 

 

Edward gave one last squeeze before pulling away sadly. "When can I penetrate you again?" He asked, pulling a sad face.

 

Louis snorted. "Don't use that word." He suggested. "Especially when you're talking about getting inside of me again." 

 

Edward really did look dejected. He missed the feeling of Louis underneath him, or on top of him. He missed the sounds Louis made and he missed being the one giving Louis unimaginable amounts of pleasure. "I miss you." He said sadly, catching himself off guard.  _Whoa, when did he get feelings_? 

 

Louis looked up at him sadly. He looked like he was on the brink of tears. He searched Edward's face. "I know," He finally said. "I miss you too. I miss all of you. But you have to understand," He took a deep breath. "What happened really hurt me. You three really hurt me. I was miserable enough with the knowledge that I might not be able to give my mates pups, and you three didn't make it easier. Especially you, Edward. You hurt me badly. Not just this time, either. You've hurt me so much since I've been here." 

 

Edward reached out and gathered Louis' hands in his. He lifted them to his mouth and kissed the back of each one softly. "I know," He nodded. "I know. I'm sorry. Fuck, I hate saying that, but I am. I'm so sorry. I've not been an alpha to you at all. I haven't provided for you or protected you.  _I_ put you in danger. Fuck." He kicked at the shower wall, creating a little dent. 

 

Louis wrapped his hands around Edward's biceps. "Edward, please," He said quietly. "Let's not turn this into something bad. Let's just keep this moment as it is. We can talk afterwards. I just want to enjoy you right now, like this." 

 

Edward raised his eyebrows and wrapped his arms around Louis. "Like what?" 

 

Louis rested his forehead on Edward's chest. "Soft. Vulnerable." He could fall asleep right now with how Edward was tracing his big hands up and down his back. "I love you like this." 

 

"Shame," Edward lamented. "I love you at all times. I don't pick and choose." 

 

Louis pinched Edward's hip. "Shut up and keep rubbing my back." He smiled. 

 

Edward sighed and leaned down to peck at Louis' wet hair. "Sure thing, princess." He rested his chin atop Louis' head and closed his eyes. "Sure thing." 

 

-

 

Louis yawned into his hand as he kept stirring the thickening sauce inside of the pot. He'd almost fallen right to sleep after the relaxing shower, but his growling stomach reminded him that there was still dinner to be made. So there he was, at seven o'clock at night, stirring pasta sauce in his (Harry's) pajamas. He looked behind him at the oven, which was cooking the bread. Four minutes left. Perfect. It would get done just in time for the pasta. 

 

The kitchen door creaked open, catching his attention. Harry walked in and inhaled deeply. "Something smells mighty good." He complimented, taking a seat at the island. 

 

Louis stared at him. "Didn't you just eat like a whole deer a minute ago?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. 

 

"It wasn't a minute ago," Harry corrected. "And I didn't eat all of it. Some of it. But I'm hungry again." He whined. He propped his elbow up onto the counter and dropped his chin into his hand. "And it smells good." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "It'll be ready in a second. Go and fetch dumb and dumber, please." 

 

"No need, darling," Edward's sickly-sweet voice came from the doorway. "And by the way, I  _love_ the new term of endearment." 

 

Louis giggled. "Are you two hungry?" 

 

"Stupid question, baby," Marcel answered, pressing a kiss to Louis' cheek. "We're always hungry." 

 

"Well, good." Louis said, nodding to the pots on the stove. "Because I made a lot. Edward, would you get the bread out of the oven?" He asked, wincing at the annoying beep from the oven. 

 

"Sure." Edward said, sliding on an oven mitt. He pulled the piping hot pan out with ease and sat it down on the counter top, nearly dying of fright when Louis screeched at him. 

 

"On the rack, please!" He said, shooing the pan off of the counter. "That will burn!" He took the tray from Edward using his hand towel and quickly put it on the cooling rack. "Animals," He muttered under his breath. He ignored the fond looks he got and began dishing everything out. His alphas just stared fondly. Louis rolled his eyes and shoved a heaping plate into each one's hands. "Go." He demanded without bite. 

 

"So bossy," Marcel commented, taking his plate right over to the island. He perched himself onto a stool and swirled his fork around in the pasta. He could tell even before eating it that it was going to be good. Louis tossed a piece of bread to Marcel. 

 

"Get used to it," Harry replied, sitting next to his brother. "He carries our knots in his pocket now." 

 

Louis stuck his tongue out at the two and filled his own smaller plate. "So, I've noticed that we're getting pretty low on groceries again." 

 

"That's impossible," Edward said around a mouthful of pasta. He craned his head to try to look inside of the pantry. "We just went shopping." 

 

Louis hopped up onto the counter and held his plate on his lap. "You three eat like animals, pun intended. I can't keep up with your demands." 

 

"We'll go tomorrow, then," Harry promised. "If we can get out of the driveway." 

 

"I didn't think about that," Louis bit off a piece of bread. "If not, I can wait. I'll use up some of that stuff in the freezer, and thank goodness we buy in bulk. I can make breads and stuff. That's filling." 

 

"And don't forget about the greenhouse." Marcel reminded him. "Fresh vegetables." 

 

"Yes," Louis agreed. "But I'm really the only one who eats salads and stuff. The only way you three eat vegetables is when I sneak them into your food." 

 

Edward banged his fist down on the table. "Because we like meat, precious." He said gruffly. 

 

Louis giggled. "I know." He didn't need to be reminded about how much meat his alphas ate. Whenever they went grocery shopping, they got knowing looks every time Louis put up stack after stack of different meat cuts. 

 

"Potatoes are a vegetable." Harry pointed out. He stabbed the air with his fork to make a point. 

 

"I realize." Louis said. "I take it back. You three eat potatoes." 

 

"Amongst others." Edward said. "By the way, duck, this is lovely. You sure know how to make your men happy." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes yet again. He was afraid they were going to get caught in the back of his head with how much he did it. "Thank you, and you're welcome." He put his half-empty plate on the counter and hopped down. Each alpha watched the movement carefully, ready to jump up and assist if Louis hurt himself or got stuck. "Just wait until you see what's for dessert." He said suggestively. 

 

"Does it involve you and a can of whipped cream, laying naked on a bearskin rug?" Edward asked, praying that it did. 

 

Louis giggled and shook his head. "Nope!" 

 

The kitchen was filled with groans. 


	15. Chapter 15

Edward crouched down in the snow. His eyes were focused on the target. He kept his breathing quiet and looked to his left. Harry was crouched in the same position, and Marcel was too. It was easy enough to hide themselves in the brush while in their wolf form. Besides, the target wasn't even paying attention. The target was meandering around, unaware of their surroundings. 

 

Unaware that it was in fact a target. 

 

When Edward gave the signal, all three of them pounced and ambushed the target. Harry was the first to reach it, and he tackled the gorgeous, snow white wolf. Hovering over the wolf, he stared down at the piercing blue eyes. The wolf was significantly smaller, and each one of them were completely entranced by the creature. The wolf fought underneath Harry until he was standing on his paws again. 

 

Louis forget they were playing hide and seek, and he'd just let himself be found again. Dammit.  _Stupid beautiful surroundings_. They were a few miles away from the cabin, as per Louis' request. He wanted to get out of the house. The alphas were all to eager to take Louis out. They would finally get to see their mate in his wolf form. They weren't disappointed, either. They were completely enchanted with the ethereal wolf. 

 

Louis was perfect in every way. 

 

Once Louis was standing on all fours, Harry leaned down to nuzzle his neck. His fur was soft and inviting, and they'd all taken turns nuzzling him. Some just did it more than others. Marcel crept around to Louis' other side and licked a broad stripe across his muzzle. Louis whined and jerked his head away. He  _hated_ it when Marcel did that, and Marcel knew it too. That's why he did it, the jerk. 

 

Edward stood proudly and watched his brothers interact with their mate. They were all in nature, as they were intended to be. It was beautiful, watching as the two larger and older wolves danced around the smaller white one. Their mating was meant to be. 

 

-

 

Marcel spread his fingers across Louis' tummy and sighed. He'd snaked his hand up the worn shirt Louis had been wearing, aching to feel the omegas warm skin. He wished desperately that there was a baby in there, but right now, he would take Louis as he was. The omega didn't need any added stress. 

 

Louis moved but didn't push Marcel's hand away, though it was pretty distracting. They were all laying tangled up together on the couch, watching some movie Harry had been raving about. Honestly, it was quite boring, but Louis watched it anyway because Harry enjoyed it. He liked making Harry happy. 

 

His stomach tensed when Marcel moved his hand in a ticklish manner, and he pulled his alphas hand out of his shirt. Marcel whined until Louis threaded their fingers together. When the alpha sighed happily, Louis finally looked over at him. 

 

"You're such a baby." He whispered. He didn't want to speak loudly and disturb the movie. He was so fond of Marcel though. Marcel grinned at him, but said nothing. Louis turned back to the movie and leaned his head on Edward's solid shoulder. He wished that there would be a little more padding, something softer there, but Edward was consistent in his workouts and didn't dare let his arms get out of shape. 

 

When an exciting part of the movie came, Harry leaned forward a bit. He'd seen this part in the previews before and was anxious to see if it met his standards. Louis watched his alpha with a smile. He liked it when they all got excited about the little things. He didn't even get to see the exciting part of the movie, but he saw bits and pieces of it in Harry's expressions. So, it was kind of the same. 

 

Towards the end of the movie, Louis and Marcel had fallen asleep. Louis was leaning on Edward and Marcel was leaning on Louis. It was cute, Edward decided, as he glanced towards the two. Louis was cuter, though, mainly because he was their little omega, and they always thought he was cute. Edward lifted his arm up so that Louis' head fell from it and onto his broad chest. With that, Louis snuggled up closer. 

 

When the end credits began rolling, Harry turned towards the three others he'd watched the movie with. His smile wasn't affected by the two sleeping people, and instead, he began to rave about the movie to Edward, who was listening whole-heartedly. Not a lot would get Harry excited. It was pretty limited to Louis and Louis' ass. So. 

 

"It was a good movie, Harry," Edward agreed, tapping a rhythm onto Louis' skin with his fingers. "I enjoyed it." 

 

Harry clapped gleefully and stood. "I just can't wait for the sequel." He squealed. "Then we can go to the theaters and watch it." 

 

"Travelling four hours just to see a movie?" Edward asked, standing carefully. He kept Louis in his arms the whole time, and adjusted the sleeping omega in a comfortable position. 

 

"We could make a day of it." Harry suggested. "Or a weekend, even. Four hours one way will get us to the town we always go to, but four hours the other way will get us to the city." He reminded Edward. "We could get a hotel room and have a long weekend." 

 

"I'll think about it." Edward promised, watching as Harry knelt down to nudge Marcel awake. He was thinking about it right then, and he liked the idea of taking Louis to the big city, getting a fancy, expensive hotel room, and treating their omega like royalty. There were spas and expensive restaurants and a shopping strip that rivaled Fifth Avenue. Louis would be treated like the princess he was. 

 

When Marcel was awake, they all headed upstairs. Harry took the rear and kept talking excitedly about the possibility of travelling. "Just think about it," He said. "Promise." 

 

"We will, Harry," Edward assured him, yet again. 

 

"Hey, four hours south would take us straight to Louis' little town," Harry remembered. They didn't know much about the town Louis came from, and if they did, they would never send the omega back at all, even if they weren't mated. They assumed it was a sweet little storybook town, but it wasn't. Louis didn't like talking about it. 

 

"Yes," Marcel agreed sleepily. When they reached the master bedroom, they all began their nighttime process. Edward deposited Louis on the bed and began stripping himself. Harry headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth, and Marcel began pulling out tomorrow morning's clothes. It took about fifteen minutes for them all to be in bed together, and when they were, they all made sure Louis was warm and comfortable before seeking out their own comfort. 

 

In the darkness, Harry began to whisper. "Guys?" 

 

"Hm?" Edward asked, eyes closed. He had a hand up Louis' shirt, resting on bare stomach. 

 

"I've been thinking," Harry spoke again. "We should get him a ring." 

 

Marcel blinked his eyes open. "What do you mean?" 

 

Harry shifted in bed and adjusting the covers. "I mean, we should get him a ring. I know we're mated and bonded and shit - " 

 

Edward snorted. "How romantic." 

 

"Shut up, Ed, let me finish." Harry grumbled. "But we should get him a ring. Something nice, but not flashy. Just...to make it official-er. Does that make sense?" 

 

Marcel mulled it over. "It makes sense, Harry." He finally agreed. Through the dark, he glanced over at his brother. "It's a good idea, Haz. Something that's solid, something that visibly ties him to us." 

 

"Yes," Harry nodded. He couldn't find the words to say it. Somehow, Marcel always did. "What do you all think?" 

 

"I agree with Marcel," Edward said. "It's a good idea. We'll look when we go shopping tomorrow." 

 

-

 

Louis stood on his tiptoes and reached for the very last box of rose-gold ball ornaments. He'd seem them awhile ago and failed to get any, and now that he saw some other lady looking at them, he had to grab the last one. And he did. He put them in the shopping cart triumphantly. The cart was almost completely full, and he would probably have to get another one soon. The three brothers left him with their credit card, saying they had to run an important errand. They seemed hesitant to go, but the store had security, so Louis would be perfect. 

 

Their credit card statement? Not so much. 

 

The triplets didn't know it yet, but they were going to start decorating for Christmas, which was now just a little under a month away. Twenty-eight days, actually, and Louis was so excited. Not only was it his birthday the day before, but he loved Christmas, even as a child, when he didn't get very many gifts. Still, his parents showered him with love and he didn't suffer because he didn't get many gifts. That's not what the holiday was about for him. 

 

He pushed the cart around the aisle and stopped near the holiday scented candles. He tossed in peppermint, gingerbread, pine tree, and one that smelled like marshmallows roasting. He was determined to make the brothers see how fun Christmas could be. 

 

They hated Christmas. Everything about it was a waste to them. Spending money on ungrateful people for presents they'd most likely return, chopping down trees just to drag them home and put some gaudy decorations on them, the endless amount of Christmas music and movies. It was all too much for them. They liked to keep things simple. 

 

Louis was not like that, they would find out. 

 

-

 

When the triplets pulled up to the shopping center where they'd let Louis roam free, they were surprised and shocked to see Louis and the amount of stuff he had. The omega was waiting in the vestibule of the grocery store, having bought groceries last. As they surveyed the mass amount of plastic bags, they noticed an alarming amount of red and green. 

 

Edward turned to Louis. But before he could speak, Louis cut him off. "Yes, those are Christmas decorations, and yes, you three will participate. Now," He clapped his hands. "Let's get these put away. I'm hungry." He began pushing a cart towards the truck. "Shopping takes a lot out of a person." 

 

The brothers knew there was no use in arguing, so they each grabbed a shopping cart and began loading up the truck. They managed to fill the bed and backseat with everything, leaving minimal room behind. Once everything was situated and they were all seated in the truck, Edward drove off, in search of a restaurant. Louis decided he wanted seafood. Marcel, loving research, pulled up a list of seafood restaurants in the town and they finally settled on the one with a five out of five rating. 

 

At the restaurant, they had to wait a few minutes before being seated. Edward had requested a secluded booth, and he wedged Louis in first and then sat beside the omega. Immediately, his hand found a place on Louis' thigh, dangerously close to the boys crotch. Louis squirmed a bit before picking up his menu. 

 

"Everything looks so good," He said, before he'd even looked at any of the food. He nibbled on his lower lip and began at the top of the menu, right at the appetizers. He liked to make his way down. 

 

"Don't get your hopes up," Harry commented, eyes scanning his own menu. 

 

"What do you mean?" Louis looked up across the table at his alpha. 

 

"This is hardly a seafood restaurant." Edward said dryly. Louis looked around. There was an underwater theme and even a lobster tank. 

 

"It sure looks like one." Louis said. 

 

"Hardly. It's a restaurant that sells seafood. There is a difference, kitten." Edward replied. "To get fresh seafood with authentic taste, you'd have to go to the coast. I've found the Pacific Northwest has exceptional seafood." 

 

"Well, this is as close as we're going to get," Louis pouted, returning his gaze to his menu. "And I'm perfectly fine with that. If you want to culture me in what's fresh and authentic, you need to take me then." 

 

Marcel raised his eyebrows but stared at his menu. "I think _you're_ getting pretty fresh right now." Harry snorted and Edward let out a little chuckle. Louis scowled at Marcel and kicked him under the table. Gently, though. But it's not as if he could ever inflict serious physical harm to the alpha. When they all continued to let out little laughs, Louis whined. 

 

"I just want shrimp," He pouted. Edward was powerless to the pout. His two other brothers had more willpower than he did when it came to that pout. It was witchcraft. 

 

"And you shall have it," Edward promised. He caught the eye of a waiter and waved him over. 

 

"How can I help you all tonight?" The waiter asked, his pen poised over his lobster-shaped notepad. "Maybe an appetizer? Perhaps something from the bar?" 

 

"We'll just take water," Marcel denied politely. 

 

"I want something with pomegranate," Louis pleaded. 

 

"We do offer pomegranate lemonade, and pomegranate cranberry juice cocktail." The waiter informed them. 

 

"Do either of those sound appealing to you, duckling?" Edward asked, looking towards Louis. 

 

Louis nodded. "The pomegranate lemonade, please." He said politely. The waiter scribbled it down and looked back up at them. 

 

"Nothing from the bar? Are we ready to order then?" He asked. 

 

"I'll have the seared salmon with asparagus. Lemon wedge on the side, please." Harry said, closing his menu. 

 

"I'll take the lobster platter." Marcel closed his menu. 

 

"I'll take the ten ounce steak with shrimp on top, medium rare, and hold off on the seasonings." Edward said. "And princess here wants the coconut shrimp basket, medium sized, please." 

 

The waiter nodded and scribbled everything down. He took their menus and hurried off to place their order. When he was gone, Louis glared up at Edward, cheeks pink. "You called me princess." 

 

Edward raised a single brow. "And?" 

 

"In  _public_ ," Louis reminded him. "With people. Other people." 

 

Edward glanced around. "No one was listening,  _princess_. And besides, you are what you are and you can't help it." 

 

Louis' blush burned his cheeks. "You're impossible." He sighed. 

 

Edward hooked his arm around Louis' shoulders and tugged the omega closer. He kissed Louis' temple and nodded. "And yet, you still love me." 

 

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

Harry cursed when a pine needle poked his eye. Actually, he let out a string of curses and kicked the stump of the ridiculously tall, ridiculously round, pine tree that Louis had picked out. They'd trudged through almost a foot of snow for almost three hours before Louis found the perfect tree to set up in the living room, right in front of the large window. Behind him, Louis shouted out. 

 

"Hey!" The small omegas voice carried through the dense trees around them. "Be nice!" 

 

"It's a fucking tree." Harry snapped. He was sick of being outside, and he was already sick of Christmas and it hadn't even happened yet. 

 

Louis frowned. "It's a living creature, too." He snapped right back. His toes were frozen and he was sure he didn't have a nose anymore, but seeing this tree, it was all worth it. He could already picture how beautiful it was going to be. He couldn't wait to start decorating it. 

 

Harry rolled his eyes. Behind Harry, Edward held up the chainsaw. "Brother?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "Are you going to stand in the way or are you going to move?" Harry grumbled, but he moved. The rest watched as Edward began cutting the tree. Marcel cupped his hands around Louis' eyes, not wanting any stray wood fragments to hurt his pretty little blues. 

 

A few minutes later, the chainsaw cut off and Marcel removed his hands. Harry and Edward were already tying it up. Louis clapped and bounced on his feet. Marcel watched fondly. He was thinking that maybe Christmas wouldn't be so bad this year because they had Louis, who was like they're own personal Christmas elf. 

 

"Are we done?" Harry addressed Louis once the tree was bound up tightly. At first, Louis had questioned how they were going to get it back to the house, and now he could see that Harry and Edward planned to carry it. If he was ever going to be turned on by a show of strength, it would be right then. 

 

He nodded. "Yes." He slid his hand into Marcel's. "Thank you, boys." Harry and Edward hoisted the tree up and began walking. Louis and Marcel followed behind, walking leisurely. "I love that smell." He commented. 

 

"What smell?" Marcel asked, sniffing the air. He got all sorts of different scents. But then again, his sense of smell was stronger than Louis'. 

 

Louis gestured around him with his free hand. "The smell of nature. Right now it's crisp, and clean, with a hint of pine. It's not all muddled like it is in the springtime, although I quite enjoy those scents as well. The freshness of the new grass growing...the blooming flowers...it's all great." 

 

Marcel chuckled fondly and squeezed Louis' hand. "You are something else," He commented. 

 

Louis looked over at him. "Something good?" He asked hopefully. 

 

Marcel nodded in confirmation. "Something  _great_." 

 

-

 

Back at the house, after the tree was set up and moved eight times to Louis' liking, Edward and Harry collapsed onto the couch. They didn't get fatigued like they did before they presented, but the three hours walking around added to carrying the tree added exhaustion to their bones. Unfortunately, Louis had other plans. He stood in front of the tree with his hands on his hips. He was wearing a worn shirt and yoga pants, with big fuzzy slippers on his cold feet and he was surveying the tree. 

 

There were boxes of decorations scattered around them, and the faint smell of popcorn lingered in the air. Louis had popped some before they left. He wanted to make chains and hang them around the trees outside, with some other things. He wanted to give some of the wild animals around here a nice little Christmas. 

 

"Okay," He turned and looked at his three mates. He clapped his hands. "I think you three should start from the top and work your way down, and I'll start from the bottom and work my way up." 

 

"Or," Edward said, not glancing up from his phone. "We could do it later." 

 

"Or," Louis replied. "We can do it now." 

 

Harry typed away on his phone. "I don't see why this is such a big deal anyway." He said. "Christmas is fucking stupid." 

 

Louis felt offended. "Christmas is my favorite holiday." He replied. "And I think it would be fun for us to do this together." He looked over at Marcel, because he knew Marcel always had his back, but the youngest alpha was reading a book on his tablet. 

 

"You thought wrong." Edward said distractedly. His tone told Louis that he absolutely did not care one bit and he would not help Louis at all. In fact, none of them seemed interested in him or what made him excited. It really hurt him and he was tempted not to do it at all, but he was still  _so_ excited for it. So, he sighed and turned his attention to the boxes on the floor. He sat down in the middle and got to work. 

 

It was going to take awhile. 

 

-

 

Louis hung up the decorated bulbs as best as he could. His movements were slow, almost heavy, and his good mood was quickly depleting, and instead of feeling happy about decorating, it felt like he was doing a chore. He wrapped the lights around the tree slowly, taking his time to make sure it was even. He did the same with the garland. He kept looking over at the three alphas sadly. He was really hoping to start a tradition. 

 

When every bulb was hung up and every light shining brightly and every string of garland and tinsel were wrapped around the tree, Louis stepped back and surveyed his work. It had taken him almost two hours and he thought it looked beautiful. He almost got a bit weepy looking at it, and he wished his parents were there to see it. He would have to take a picture later and send it to them. 

 

There was something missing though. He looked the tree up and down before it came to him. He'd forgotten to put the star at the very top. The tree was well over nine feet, and his height was nowhere near that. He glanced over at his mates. They were all sleeping, and even though they were cute like that, he was still upset with them. It was supposed to be a fun day and their attitudes about Christmas had made it terrible. 

 

He located the star and sat it to the side before heading to the dining room. He pulled a chair out and scooted it across the carpet towards the tree. He planted it right in front and grabbed the star. He was careful climbing up onto the chair, and managed to lean forward just enough to put the star on top. He caught his reflection in the window and instead of a happy expression, he looked sad. 

 

Marcel chose that time to wake up, and he blinked a few times before his eyes adjusting to the bright, multicolored lights in front of him. He nudged Edward awake, who nudged Harry. In a few short seconds, they were all watching as Louis leaned forward to put the star onto the beautifully decorated tree. Guilt swamped their bodies, especially when they saw how sad he looked. 

 

Edward stood and walked over to stand behind Louis. "Do you need any help?" He asked, putting his hand on Louis' lower back. He didn't expect for Louis to jerk away from his touch and hop off the chair, completely ignoring him. He glanced over at his brothers. They both shrugged. "Louis." Edward said. Louis did nothing but drag the chair away from them. 

 

They waited until Louis was back in the living room before saying anything. Edward approached Louis. "Why are you not answering me?" He asked, getting frustrated. 

 

Louis shrugged and began stacking the boxes up to clear up some space. He couldn't help but pause and admire the tree. When he was done, he turned around, planning to go upstairs and take a bath, but Edward had other ideas. The alpha blocked his path. 

 

"Answer me." He demanded. "Why are you ignoring us?" 

 

"It's only fair," Louis replied. "You three ignored me earlier." 

 

"No, we didn't," Harry replied. 

 

"Yes you did! When I suggested that we decorate the tree." Louis reminded him. 

 

Harry made a face. "You know we hate Christmas. Don't be surprised when we don't get as enthusiastic about it as you do." Harry waved his hand. 

 

"Well, I  _love_ Christmas, and I love you three, but clearly it's one sided." Louis crossed his arms. 

 

"That's not true," Marcel stepped forward. 

 

"Is it not though?" Louis asked. "I thought we were all supposed to make sacrifices for each other. This may not have been a sacrifice, but still. It's something that I enjoy and you three should have done it with me because it would have made me happy. Harry, I watched that stupid movie with you the other night. How is this any different? I don't like movies like that, but I still watched it." He turned to Edward. "I don't particularly like being woken up at three in the morning with a dick in me, but hey, I do it because I love you." He pointed to Marcel. "I make you those disgusting smoothies every single time you ask and I always  _always_ try them when you ask." 

 

He took a deep breath. "So forgive me if I'm a little upset or if I'm ignoring you. I wanted to spend quality time with the people I love most and the least you could do is pretend. You all really hurt my feelings and if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed now." He turned on his heel and darted under Edward's arm. He disappeared upstairs, leaving the three brothers stunned in the living room. 

 

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, shit." He said. 

 

Marcel nodded solemnly. "Yeah." He agreed. 

 

-

 

The next morning, Edward shook Louis awake. He was already dressed, and he leaned over the bed. "Baby, wake up." He coaxed Louis out of his deep sleep. "There's something we need to show you." 

 

Louis batted his hand away and rolled over. He made a noise of protest and tried to get back to sleep. It was no use. Edward would keep shaking him until he woke. He finally turned around and opened his eyes. "What?" 

 

Edward smiled. "Come on, sleepy. You've got something to look at." He held his hands out and pulled Louis from the warm bed. After making sure Louis was wearing warm clothes, because his little omega was always cold in the morning, he led Louis downstairs. At the bottom, he put his hands over Louis' eyes. 

 

"What's going on?" Louis asked. He could smell something rich, maybe chocolate? It was probably his senses playing a trick on him. He let Edward lead him to the living room. They finally stopped. 

 

"Are you ready?" Harry asked. All three of them were down there? What was going on? 

 

"Uh, yes?" Louis asked. When Edward pulled his hands away, Louis blinked to clear his vision. Then, he blinked a few more times in disbelief. The tree was completely bare from head to toe. Each decoration was back in the boxes. Even the lights were off of it. He turned to Edward, flabbergasted. "What - ?" He asked. 

 

Edward hooked his arm around Louis' waist. "Well, after you made us feel like absolute shit, we thought that this might be the best way to make it up to you." 

 

"I don't understand," Louis said slowly, looking from alpha to alpha. 

 

Harry grinned at him. "Now, we can decorate the tree.  _Together_." 

 

"Oh." Louis said. Then, he smiled. "Oh! Yay!" He tugged Harry and Marcel closer, until he could attempt to wrap his arms around all three. He couldn't, but they could, and a few moments later, he was in the middle of all three of them. "Thank you." 

 

"We just want to make you happy." Marcel said, kissing his cheek. "We haven't been doing a very good job of that." 

 

"Yes you have." Louis assured him. "You three make me the happiest ever." 

 

"And you do the same, cupcake." Edward squeezed Louis' bottom. "You do the same." 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DO NOT KILL ME BECAUSE I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH DO NOT KILL ME ALSO DO NOT CRY 
> 
>  
> 
> 2312 words!

Louis was spread out on all three of his alphas. His head was on Edward's lap, and his legs were crossed over Marcel's. Harry was between them, and he had a hand planted firmly on Louis' tummy. They were all staring at the newly decorated tree. Empty cups of hot chocolate were on the coffee table. The room around them was dark, allowing the Christmas tree to have its glory. 

 

"I believe, kitten," Edward said, breaking the silence. "That we've just started a new tradition." 

 

Louis sighed happily. They sure had. "I think so," He agreed softly. Edward was petting his hair and Harry was petting his stomach and Marcel was petting his legs. It made him very sleepy. 

 

"Maybe next year we'll have a little one to share it with?" Harry suggested, rubbing circles under Louis' shirt. At the mention of a baby, Louis stiffened. He'd managed to put a halt to all of the baby talk, but he knew that it wouldn't last very long. Harry noticed his stiffness. "Wouldn't that be nice?" 

 

Louis swallowed. "Babies are a lot of work," He said. "And I'm not sure that we really have time for them right now." It broke his heart to say it, but he needed to tell himself constantly that he didn't want children. It lessened the pain every time he remembered pregnancy would be difficult for him. 

 

"We'd find the time," Marcel said. "If that's what you're worried about." 

 

"He's right, princess," Edward agreed with Marcel. "We'd always find time to dote on our pups." 

 

"It's not just that." Louis sighed. "We couldn't possibly raise them out here in the wilderness. It's not safe." Beneath him, it was the triplets turn to stiffen. He held his breath, waiting for a response. 

 

"Are you implying that we are unable to keep our nest safe?" Edward asked quietly. He didn't sound angry, not yet. 

 

"No - " Louis began. 

 

"Because that's the way we're taking it," Harry interrupted. 

 

Louis kept his eyes off of the floor and removed himself from the warm embraces of his mates. He turned to face them. "I never said that," He said calmly. "I just don't think that pups are in our future right now and that's the end of that discussion." 

 

Edward lifted a brow. "That's for me to decide, doll." 

 

Louis jutted his chin out. "And it's for me to decide when I want to bear your children, and it's not going to be anytime soon." He nodded his head once before heading straight to the kitchen. He couldn't be in the same room as his mates after he'd basically just denied them babies. He gripped the sides of the counter and let his head hang down. He sighed heavily. 

 

 _What's wrong with me?_ He thought sadly.  _Why can't I have children? I can't stand the looks on their faces anymore_. His mates deserved children. Heaps and heaps of pups, and Louis felt so guilty. He took a deep breath before lifting his head. His eyes met Marcel's. 

 

"If there's anything you'd like to do, maybe something you need to know," He said, stepping towards Louis. He left the statement unfinished. 

 

Louis nodded. "I think maybe I'd like to go to the doctors. A different one." 

 

-

 

The triplets refused to leave Louis' side once they reached the hospital four days after Louis suggested he go. So, they all geared up and stood in the room as Louis was poked and prodded. Harry held Louis' hand as there was blood drawn, and after the urine sample, they helped Louis up onto the bed and waited for the doctor. She showed up shortly, wearing a smile. 

 

"Hi there!" She greeted, shaking everyone's hands. "I'm Dr. Geller." She flipped Louis' chart open and read it. "You're here for what exactly?" Her eyes flitted up to Louis'. 

 

"Shouldn't it say on his chart?" Harry asked, a little judgmental. 

 

She glanced at the alpha but didn't respond. 

 

"When I was younger, I was told by my family's primary physician that I would probably not have kids in the future." Louis told her, squeezing Harry's hand. 

 

She raised her eyebrows. "Were those his exact words?" 

 

Louis nodded. "I think so." 

 

She sat the clipboard down and pulled some gloves on. She wasn't bashful as she wheeled up right between Louis' legs and began prodding around in him. Louis kept his gaze on the ceiling. His mates were quiet. 

 

"Nothing feels out of place," She said a few minutes later. She tugged her gloves off and washed her hands. "But just to make sure, I'm going to do an external and internal ultrasound." 

 

"Aren't those only for when he's pregnant?" Harry asked. 

 

"No," Dr. Geller said, wheeling the machine over. She rolled some latex over the wand and spread some lubricant over it. "Internal ultrasounds are used for a number of things. This is just an easy way of seeing what's going on in this little stomach of his." 

 

Louis winced and involuntarily squeezed Harry's hand when she slid the wand into him. They all five watched the screen. Only Dr. Geller knew what she was looking for though. A few seconds later, she pointed to a gray area. 

 

"That's your uterus," She explained. "It's empty." 

 

"No fucking shit." Edward snapped. 

 

"Edward!" Louis gasped. He turned to Dr. Geller. "Please excuse him. He has no manners." 

 

Edward rolled his eyes. Dr. Geller nodded. 

 

"Everything looks good so far," She said. "No tumors or cysts, your tubes look perfect...I'm seeing no visible reason you're not getting pregnant." She removed the wand slowly and cleaned it off. She stood from her chair and went to wash her hands yet again. As she was drying them, she said, "I'll let you get cleaned up and dressed, and come on out when you're done. We have a lot to talk about." 

 

When she left, Edward took charge, and he cleaned Louis up down there without so much as a blush. They all three helped him dress in some way, and when he was done, they headed out and into Dr. Geller's office. They sat and waited. 

 

"I've got the results of your tests." She said, sitting down. "There's nothing abnormal. So, we'd like to take samples from you three before you go." She used her pen to point to the three alphas. "If that's alright." 

 

"It's fine." Louis answered for them. 

 

"Perfect. Now," She shuffled some papers. "Louis, I'm going to ask a series of questions, and I need you to be honest, to the best of your ability. Okay?" When he nodded, she began reading. "Have you ever been pregnant before?" 

 

"No." Louis answered. 

 

"What is your sexual history?" She asked. 

 

Edward squeezed his hand tightly, making him wince. "I uh, I was a virgin. Until I mated with these three." 

 

She wrote something down. "Okay. What health conditions do you have?" 

 

"I don't think I have any." He answered. He tried to think back of ever going to the doctors when he was younger. 

 

"Alright. Have you ever been treated for cancer or any other type of disease requiring a chemotherapy treatment?" She asked. 

 

"No." 

 

"Have you ever been overweight?" 

 

"No."

 

"Are you currently or have you ever been treated for depression?" 

 

"No." 

 

She asked a series of questions, ranging from what foods he ate that morning to having a history of diabetes in his family. By the time she was done asking, he thought they were completely done. But she pulled out a separate sheet and turned to the triplets. She flashed them a smile. 

 

"Same deal here," She said. "I'm going to ask you three some questions, and I need honest answers." She cleared her throat. "Have any of you three had an operation on your testicles?"

 

"No." They all answered unanimously. Harry even winced at the thought. 

 

"Have you ever had an injury to your testicles?" She asked. 

 

"Nope." Edward answered. Harry and Marcel said the same. 

 

"Have any of you three had a vasectomy?" 

 

Louis looked over at them, and Edward squeezed his hand. "No." They all answered again. 

 

"Is there ever blood present in your ejaculate?" She asked. 

 

"Never." 

 

She kept asking them questions, and their list seemed longer than Louis'. They answered no to everything she asked, and Louis thought that was a good sign. They were all four perfectly healthy, it seemed. Dr. Geller pulled out yet another paper. 

 

"Same deal," She said. "How often do you have intercourse?" 

 

"Before we became celibate," Harry bit out. "It was up to three times a day." 

 

"Celibate?" Dr. Geller asked, raising an eyebrow. She looked over at Louis. 

 

"When we found out he might not be able to carry our pups, we sort of had a fight. We've made up, but the mood seems to have been depleted." Marcel explained. "Not from us, though." He tacked on. 

 

Louis rested his elbow on the armrest and hid his face behind his hand. 

 

"That's certainly not uncommon," Dr. Geller explained. "When faced with the possibility of infertility, or even the struggle of becoming pregnant, sex can seem like a daunting task. I can see why Louis chose to steer clear of it for now. Now, on that note, have you ever experienced problems with your intercourse?" 

 

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Problems?" 

 

"Problems, like maybe not being able to get an erection, or maybe losing it after a few minutes." Dr. Geller explained. 

 

All three alphas looked over at Louis, who was still hiding his face. Edward gestured to the omega. "Have you seen him? I get so hard I could cut through steel with this thing - " 

 

"Edward!" Louis squealed. His cheeks were flaming red. 

 

"Sorry." Edward apologized. He lifted Louis' hand up and kissed the back of it. 

 

"Okay, so no problems with the erections. Do any of you ejaculate early?" She asked. 

 

"Never." Was the collective response. 

 

"Are your knots healthy size?" She asked. 

 

"I believe so." Marcel answered for them. 

 

"And how long do they usually last?" 

 

"Maybe an hour?" Harry shrugged. 

 

"Mine is about the same." Marcel agreed. Edward just nodded. 

 

"None of you take drugs, whether it be recreational or prescribed?" She asked. "Not including over the counters, such as headache medicine." 

 

They all four shook their heads. 

 

"Do any of you drink in excessive amounts?" She asked. 

 

"I do enjoy a glass of brandy every now and then." Edward answered. 

 

"Occasionally whiskey." Harry said. 

 

"Bourbon, but only a few times a month." Marcel said. 

 

"And are we talking one glass, two?" Dr. Geller asked. 

 

"It's never more than one glass, for each of us." Edward answered. "We grew up with alcohol, so we know what it does to people." Louis looked over at the triplets. This was new information to him. He had no idea that their parents were alcoholics. He tried to get Edward's attention, but the alpha kept his gaze forward. 

 

"Are any of you under a significant amount of stress?" She asked. 

 

"Not really," Marcel answered. Harry shook his head, and so did Edward. But Louis raised his hand. 

 

"I am," He said. "The baby thing is stressing me out." 

 

Dr. Geller nodded sympathetically. "Worrying about becoming pregnant can ruin people's lives. I really don't want you to stress about this at all. After we take the samples from your mates, we might have an answer as to why you might not be getting pregnant." 

 

"Are you saying that it could be one of us?" Marcel asked. 

 

"Or maybe all three of us?" Harry frowned. 

 

"It could be one of you," Dr. Geller nodded. "Or it could be all three. And it could be none of you. You three could have the healthiest sperm and Louis could have the healthiest eggs. We just don't know yet." 

 

"I see." Edward nodded. 

 

"Now that I've asked you four everything I need to ask," She reached in her drawer and pulled out three plastic cups. They were wrapped in little baggies. "I need some samples from you boys. When you're done, put the lid on them and," She wrote their names down on each baggie. "Put these bags over them. That way we won't confuse them. When you're done, my nurse will come in and take your blood samples." She pushed herself away from the desk. "You can go into the bathroom to do your business." 

 

When she left, each alpha grabbed a baggie with a grumble and headed towards the bathroom. Louis stood and offered to go with them, maybe to help. 

 

"You've done enough," Edward snapped, closing the bathroom door with a slam. Louis tried not to be hurt by his alphas words. It was true, he'd dragged them there, but only because he wanted answers. He had no idea that his mates would react this way. He turned to sit back in the chair, but curiosity got the best of him, and he pressed his ear against the door. 

 

"I can't even get it up now." Harry lamented. His voice was muffled through the door, but Louis could hear every word. 

 

He heard Marcel groan. "I know what you mean. I can't think of anything to help me get started, either." 

 

This time, Edward groaned, but it wasn't from exasperation. It was from lust. "Think of Callie," Edward panted. "It works." 

 

It felt as if someone had just poured ice cold water down Louis. His heart stopped beating and his throat tightened up. His hands began shaking, and he bit down on his lip so hard he tasted blood. The whole trip just became a waste of time. He stepped back, and when he heard Harry and Marcel start to moan, he turned on his heel and ran out of the office. He pushed past some nurses and didn't stop until he was out of the hospital. 

 

And then he kept going. 


	18. Chapter 18

Louis made one quick stop at the truck, only to grab a credit card. After that, he left the hospital behind him. He slowed his run down to a walk when he reached the busier part of town, and as he walked down the sidewalk, he kept searching the traffic for a familiar black truck. He was so paranoid. He stopped at a little supermarket and gathered up a few small things, such as shampoo and conditioner, body wash, and a few snacks. He would need them, staying in a hotel and all. 

 

When it was his turn to check out, he separated each item and paid for them individually. He needed cash back. He selected a hundred for each item, and when it was done, he had more than enough for a hotel room for a few nights. He thanked the cashier and grabbed his plastic bag. He looked around and saw that there was a little coffee bar in the market, and he approached the barista. 

 

"Do you have any suggestions on a hotel?" He asked her quietly. Despite how shady he must look, she smiled and nodded. 

 

"Sure do!" She chirped. "I'll write them down for you. My personal favorite is the Cozy Inn. It's a bit bigger than an inn, but it is cozy. It's locally owned, too, so that's a plus. It's an older couple that run it, so you can expect lots of charm from them. The second best, again, my own opinion, is the Whimsy Suites. Kooky name, but it's cute. A little expensive, but cute." She scribbled the names down, and even looked up their phone numbers for him. 

 

"Could I use the phone to call?" He asked. "I don't have one with me." 

 

"Sure!" She handed him the cordless and he dialed the number. It was answered after two rings. It was a lovely elderly woman who answered, and she informed him that they did in fact have a few rooms available. He reserved one and thanked her. When he handed the phone back, the barista, Kelly, hung it up. "If you wait a few minutes, I'll be clocking off. I can give you a lift." 

 

He stared at her. "Really?" 

 

She nodded. "Really. I live near there, and you don't really look like you're wanting to be seen." She was perceptive. He could respect that. 

 

"If it's not to much trouble," He replied. "I could pay you." 

 

"Nonsense. I'll consider it my good deed of the day." She grinned at him. He thanked her and stepped aside so that she could help the next few people who had lined up behind him. He looked at the clock, and assumed she had a few minutes left, so he walked around the small store. His feet led him over to the small electronics section, and it dawned on him. He needed a phone. He perused the selection, which was actually pretty decent, and chose a reasonably priced smartphone and a few hundred minutes. He had a feeling he'd be calling his mother a lot over the next few days. 

 

He carried it up to the front and paid with the card. They could trace the card all they wanted, but they would only get to the supermarket. After that, it would be all cash. When he paid, he got another hundred back, just in case, and went back to the little coffee bar. Kelly was just taking off her apron as he approached. They left the store together, and thankfully, she didn't ask any questions as she drove. 

 

When she parked at a cute little inn, Louis was pleasantly surprised. It was definitely an older house, maybe one of the oldest in the town, and it was covered in ivy up one side. The walkways were cobblestone, and there were beautiful picture windows. He could see that there were candles in every window. He thanked Kelly and got out, quickly moving to get inside the building. Surely by now, they'd notice he was gone. 

 

When he stepped inside, he was met with warmth and the smell of something baking. It smelled wonderful. The inside was decorated for Christmas, and he peered through the arched doorway and saw a big, lit up Christmas tree. 

 

"Can I help you?" A sweet voice asked. He turned and saw a little desk sitting in the corner. Behind it sat an old lady. She was smiling warmly at him. 

 

"Yeah," He stepped forward. "I called about a room earlier?" 

 

Her face lit up. "Of course!" She read down a piece of paper. "Dan?" 

 

He nodded. He used his dad's name, because he wouldn't put it past them to call every hotel in the town and ask if he was there. He handed her the money for a week and she handed him a little key on a chain. It was charming. He stepped away from the desk, and she led him up the stairs. 

 

"Now, dear," She said as they climbed. Slowly, but they were climbing. "We do things a bit differently around here. Sort of like a hotel, but with charm." She laughed. "If you want to be left alone, then that's perfectly fine. There's a card to hang on the outside doorknob to let us know. We have a few people in the kitchen, and there's a menu by your phone, should you want something to eat. We do have the option to eat in the dining room, but right now, we're re-carpeting. I hope that's not a problem?" She looked over her shoulder at him. 

 

"Not at all." He said. 

 

"Wonderful. You have your own bathroom, and there are little prepackaged toothbrushes and some toothpaste in there. We understand that not a lot of people come prepared to hotels. You can do your own laundry, and if you need fresh linens, there are little card to fill out. You just check the boxes of the item you need and put it in the little plastic pouch attached to your door." 

 

They stopped outside a white door and she showed him. He thought they were going to keep walking, but she put the key in the lock and twisted it. The door opened and she led him inside. The room was beautifully decorated and gave him a sense of home. The bed was a full bed, and it looked so comfortable. There were nightstands on either side, each holding a lamp. One held a phone and phone book. 

 

"Now, dear," She said. "If you need anything, you just come downstairs or give me a ring. We've set things up so it's easier. There's a list of extensions by the phone, so all you have to do is dial that to reach someone." 

 

"Perfect." He said, sitting on the bed. 

 

"As you can see, there is a television, but it's small, and we only get cable. There is a little library downstairs with movies and books, should you get bored. All you have to do it write down what items you take and give it to me. We're not very organized around here." She laughed again and held out her hand. "Now, I'm Carol, and welcome." 

 

-

 

Edward punched in a number on his phone, surprised that he didn't break the screen. Harry was fuming quietly, staring angrily at the hospital. Marcel was quiet beside the two and felt the guilt eating away at him. He had no doubt that Louis had heard them. He wanted to die. 

 

"What the fuck do you mean?" Edward shouted into the phone. "It's going to take at least ten minutes to trace the card?" He roared, punching the steering wheel. It blared, but thankfully, he didn't break it. "I need to know now! My mate is out there somewhere with my fucking credit card!" He paused. "Do it right now. Stay on the line. Don't put me on hold or I swear I'll - where?" He barked. "Everfresh Supermarket?" 

 

Edward hung up the phone and tossed it. He'd gotten the place where his card was last used and he knew exactly where it was. They'd always passed the little market on their way to go shopping. It was a little ways from there, and surely Louis would still be there. He knew no one and had no transportation, no phone, nothing. He peeled out of the parking lot and merged dangerously with traffic. 

 

When he saw the little market, he pulled in at a crooked angle and barely stopped the car before bolting. They all three stormed inside the grocery store and headed in opposite directions. They even checked the bathrooms. Four minutes later, they'd circled every square inch and came up empty. Edward slammed his fist down on a canned display and cursed. 

 

"Excuse me, sirs," They were approached by an older gentlemen; the manager. "Can I help you today?" 

 

"Our mate," Marcel began to explain. "We gave him our credit card and left him here, and now we can't seem to find him." 

 

The manager looked at them strangely, but nodded. "Maybe I've seen him in here. What does he look like?" 

 

Harry held his hand out at the appropriate height for Louis, which barely reached his chest. "This tall, very small. Wearing a sweater and jeans. Might have been upset?" 

 

The manager raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Oh. I see, well, I did see a little one in here awhile ago. He bought a few things and got quite a large sum in cash back. I didn't see what he was wearing, but he was visibly upset." 

 

"Do you have any security videos for us to watch?" Edward asked. 

 

"I'm sorry, but you'd need to be a member of the law or have an official document to see those videos." The manager explained. "We don't like to infringe on other's privacy." 

 

"When was he in here?" Marcel asked. 

 

The manager checked his watch. "Maybe forty-five minutes ago?" He glanced over at the coffee bar. "He left with our barista. I'm assuming she gave him a ride somewhere." Then, the manager hesitated. "Should you maybe call the police?" 

 

Edward waved him off. 

 

"Should  _I_ maybe call the police?" The manager asked. The three alphas in front of him looked like they could fuck shit up royally. He would hate to be on the business end of one of their punches. 

 

" _No_." Harry growled. "Do you have any idea where they went? Could you call your barista?" 

 

The manager shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm not entirely aware of the situation, and I'm not comfortable giving you such information when you're angry. I do apologize, but that's all I can tell you." The three alphas stormed out, angry at themselves. How could they have been so stupid? They were sure that they would never be forgiven. 

 

-

 

Louis was curled up in the warm bed, nibbling on a pretzel. He had no appetite whatsoever, but he was still shaking, and maybe somehow, his blood sugar had dropped drastically. Or maybe it was because he ran so far so fast. His body wasn't used to that kind of stress. Either way, he felt nauseous and deep down, he knew that it was from his experience at the hospital. 

 

He figured that he would give his body some rest, but now he was just itching to call his mom. He sat up in bed and reached for the plastic bag that held the phone. He opened it carefully, not wanting to get cut on the hard plastic, and began the set up. After a few minutes of messing with it, he got the minutes put on it and found that it was charged to seventy-five percent. Perfect. 

 

He dialed the number he knew by heart and waited. It rang a few times, and then his mother picked up. At the first sound of her voice, he had to bite his lip so that he wouldn't start to cry. 

 

"Hello?" She asked. Of course she wouldn't know it was him. It would show up as an unknown number on her phone. 

 

"Hi mom,"  He said quietly. 

 

"Louis!" She cheered. "How are you? What phone are you calling from?" 

 

"I bought it a few hours ago," He answered. "I uh, I sort of left my mates." 

 

She was quiet for several seconds. "What do you mean? You left them how?" She finally asked. 

 

"It's a long story." He said softly. 

 

"I have time." Was her response. Of course. She would always make time to hear about his troubles. 

 

He took a deep breath before speaking. "We went to a different doctor today. I wanted to get a different opinion and my mates got tested as well. The doctor, Dr. Geller was her name, she said that there was nothing wrong with me, that everything seemed fine. She asked a bunch of questions and then she requested, uh,  _samples_ from them. I offered to um, help them, sort of, and Edward seemed a little off. He said something about me already doing enough and they all went into the bathroom." 

 

"Alright," His mother said. "Then what happened?" 

 

"I listened in," He cringed. It sounded so gross when he said it out loud. "And I heard them talking about being...unable to perform, and then Edward said," He cut himself off with a shaky breath. He feared he would start crying again. "He was thinking of Callie, and suggested that they all think of her." 

 

"Callie?" His mother asked. She'd never heard of Callie. 

 

"She's an omega friend of one of their friends' girlfriends." He said, trying to make it seem less complicated. "Their friend is named Liam, and he and his girlfriend Sophia came to visit awhile back. Callie came with them, and charmed the pants right off of them." She seemed to be the only omega who could do that to them. Just the very thought made his heart hurt. "We uh, we got into a fight about it and things happened." 

 

"You and Callie got into a fight or you and your mates?" Jay asked. 

 

"They weren't my mates then, but yes, me and my mates." He answered. "It was like she put a spell on them or something. They were captivated, but when she left, they were back to normal. I don't know what happened." 

 

"Maybe they saw how wrong they were when she left," Jay suggested. "And they realized that they truly love you." 

 

Louis shook his head, despite the fact that his mother couldn't see. "They settled for me, mom. It's not like they had a choice." 

 

"Don't say that." Jay admonished. "Anyone would be lucky to have you." 

 

"Thanks." He smiled to himself. 

 

"But that doesn't mean I'm not angry at them. I would have a very hard time forgiving your father if he ever did something like that to me." She said. "Where are you now?" 

 

"I took one of their credit cards and I'm at a hotel now." He answered. 

 

"I hope you didn't use the credit card to check in." She said. "They would be able to trace it, and I'm sure that you don't want to be found right now?" 

 

"No." He answered. "Not for awhile. I went to a grocery store to pick up some things and I got cash back." He looked around the cozy room. "It's a nice little inn, mom. You'd like it." 

 

"You'll have to send me pictures." She smiled. "What town are you in? Is it anywhere close to your father and I? Do you want us to pick you up?" 

 

"I'm alright. I still need to go and get some things from the cabin, unfortunately. I'm not close to you and dad." He said sadly. "If I were, I'd be on my way home." 

 

Jay clicked her tongue. "I'm proud of you for being so strong." She admired. "I'm assuming you're going to be at this inn for awhile. Do you have everything that you need?"

 

"Yeah. I got some toiletries and the couple that run the inn are very accommodating." He told her. "It's a nice place. Friendly owners." 

 

Jay hummed. "It sounds like it. They didn't give you trouble because you were alone? Didn't ask questions?" 

 

"No," He said. "I think maybe she knew something was up, but she seemed very understanding. I probably looked upset when I came in." 

 

Jay sighed sadly. "I wish you were home." She wanted to give him a hug and comfort him. 

 

"I will be soon, mom." He promised. "I just have to figure some things out first." 

 

-

 

After he hung up with his mom, he dialed the number of the hospital he was at hours earlier. He was directed to Dr. Geller's office phone and waited as it rang. His heart was hammering in his chest. For some reason, he kept thinking that maybe the three brothers were waiting by the phone and that they would answer. It scared him. 

 

"Dr. Geller," Came a female voice. He sighed in relief. 

 

"Hi, Dr. Geller. This is Louis Tomlinson," He said, walking over to look out the window. "I was in there earlier today? I sort of left in a rush," 

 

"Oh, yes." She remembered. "You gave your mates quite the scare." 

 

He ignored that bit of information. "I was just calling to let you know that I switched phone numbers, and I'd like to change it on my file." He waited until she had the file up on her computer, then he rattled the number off. 

 

"It's a good thing that you called, Louis, because we have some news." She said. "It's best said in person, though. It's about the tests we took." 

 

He shook his head. "I'd like to be told over the phone, if that's alright." He knew that she really couldn't deny him that. She sighed, but told him anyway. When the words registered in his mind, he dropped his phone and darted towards the bathroom. He barely made it to his knees before he was throwing up everything in his body. 

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> man i am jamming to florida georgia line
> 
> what's that i hear? a triple update?

Harry tore at his hair, not caring one bit when his fingers ripped at the tangles. He was angry, he was upset, and he really wanted to hit something. He was sure his brothers felt the same way. He sighed heavily and looked out of the truck window. They were parked at a gas station, towards the back, and Edward was calling every single hotel and motel and inn in the phone book. Marcel was on the verge of tears. Every single place they called had no record of Louis being there. 

 

"Yes, hi, this is Edward Styles, and I was just calling to see if my mate has checked in yet?" Edward asked when he called yet another hotel. "We booked the room for him and we won't be there until later this evening. His name is Louis." Edward paused. "Tomlinson." He waited, and then sighed angrily. "No, that's fine. Thanks." He hung up the phone and clenched his fists. 

 

"I take it he wasn't there either?" Marcel asked, crossing his arms. It was beginning to get dark out, and he was worried that Louis was in an unsafe place. 

 

"Fuck no." Edward growled. He tossed his phone to the side and sighed heavily. He rubbed his hands over his face before letting his head fall back onto the headrest. "What are we going to do?" 

 

"How many more places do you have to call?" Harry asked, leaning over to glance at the phone book. 

 

"None. That was the last one." Edward answered. 

 

"Could he have stayed at a friends house?" Marcel suggested. 

 

"He doesn't know a single soul in this town." Harry answered his little brother. 

 

Edward glanced out at the darkening sky. The temperature was dropping and it would be freezing before long. "Where could he be?" 

 

"This is all your fault, Edward." Marcel snapped. 

 

Edward swiveled his head and stared at his younger brother. "How?" He demanded. 

 

"When is it never your fault?" Marcel growled. "You're the one who suggested we think of that whore. He probably heard us." 

 

Edward scoffed. "And what if he didn't?" 

 

"Then why would he run away?" Marcel yelled. "It's because of you and your stupid mouth. You're always fucking things up and ruining everything for me and Harry. It's not fair that we get punished for your stupidity." 

 

Edward stared blankly at Marcel. "Would you like me to break the bond completely and go my own way?" His lip curled into a sneer. "Would that make things easier for you? I'm sure that would make everyone happier, wouldn't it? I'm sure Louis would come running back as soon as he caught wind that I was gone." 

 

"You stupid fuck," Harry stepped in. "Louis loves you, do you get that? He is so fucking in love with you that he's allowed himself to be practically treated like a test animal today just so you can have your fucking answers about producing an heir. And how do you repay him? By getting yourself off to another omega."

 

Edward rolled his eyes. "I was joking, brother. I had no one on my mind but him." 

 

"You've got a sick sense of humor." Marcel snapped. "How were we supposed to know you were joking? How was Louis supposed to know you were joking? You're always saying stupid shit like that, and most of the time you mean it." 

 

"You've got to cut that shit out," Harry said. "One of these days, you're going to fuck up, and he's not going to come back." 

 

Edward glanced out the window again. "I'm afraid," He said grimly. "That that day has come." 

 

 

-

 

After dinner, which was just a small bowl of soup, because that's all he could stomach, Louis moseyed into the little library. There were shelves of books and movies, and he gathered a few of each. He scribbled down what he had and headed back to his room. When he was in his room, he put the  _do not disturb_ sign on the doorknob and locked the door. 

 

He slid a movie into the machine and turned on the television. He turned the lights off and settled into bed as the movie started. It was a sappy romance that made him cry, which is exactly what he needed. He needed a better excuse than what he had to cry. He really wished that the triplets were here so that he could scream at them and hit them, but he had no idea where they were and he really didn't care. 

 

When the movie ended, he scrolled through his new phone, downloading some apps and just fucking around with it. He made sure to send his mom some pictures of the place he took, and didn't even feel sad when her number was the only one saved in the phone. Her number was the only one he needed. 

 

-

 

The next morning, bright and early, Edward, Harry, and Marcel hopped in the truck and began driving around. They would search every single house and place of business in this town until they found their omega, and Edward promised them that. 

 

"If he's still our omega," Marcel said. His voice was a mix of anger and sadness. 

 

"Shut up." Harry snapped. He hadn't slept at all that night, and his mood was depleting. 

 

"Fuck off Harry," Marcel shot back. "You don't have to be such an asshole." 

 

"You don't have to be so fucking negative all the time." Harry growled. "Seriously, just shut up." 

 

"You're just angry because you're scared that it's true." Marcel said. "You're scared that he's going to realize that he deserves so much better than what he's getting with us and that he's going to leave. And I don't blame him." He finished with a sad sigh. Beside him, Harry was quiet. 

 

"You're right," Harry finally said. "He deserves so much better." 

 

Edward scoffed. "You two are really going to let him just leave? You're not going to fight for what's yours?" 

 

"What's the point?" Marcel said sadly. "What if we can't change his mind? This might have been the last straw." 

 

"Be that as it may, little brother," Edward said, turning into the supermarket parking lot. He fished for his phone and pulled it out. "You still have to try." 

 

-

 

A few hours later, Liam and Sophia arrived. Liam looked disappointed in his friends and Sophia looked sad. Edward had called in backup. They were going to need more than the three of them if they were going to find Louis. Edward was refusing to leave until they found Louis and made sure that he was safe. 

 

Before they began, though, Liam needed to know why he was there in the first place. He pulled Edward to the side and demanded answers. "Why did you call Soph and I?" His hands were on his hips, and Edward wanted to roll his eyes. Liam was so dramatic. "And why are we looking for Louis anyway?" 

 

"If you must know, Liam," Edward sighed exasperatedly. "I made a silly joke and Louis heard, and took off." 

 

Liam frowned. "I find that hard to believe. Louis has put up with a lot of your shit. A simple joke wouldn't make him leave." 

 

"I made a joke about jerking off to Callie." Edward said. 

 

Liam's eyes almost bugged out of his head. Edward wanted to laugh. "You  _what_? You idiot." He shook his head. "You're so stupid. I don't blame him for running away. In fact, I don't think I want to look for him. He's better off without you." 

 

Edward stepped back. "Whoa now," He said. "Calm down. It was a joke. You know me." 

 

Liam scoffed. "You have a sick sense of humor." He shook his head. "Now, what were you all doing here anyway, and  _why_ was the subject of jerking off to Callie relevant?" 

 

Edward sighed. "We came to get tested." He admitted. 

 

Liam's eyes widened. "Why? Are you all okay? Is one of you sick?" 

 

"No, no, none of that. We came to get our fertility tested." Edward put his hands on his hips and kicked at the ground. 

 

"Oh." Liam said. "Is everything okay? Is Louis okay? I mean, was he okay?" 

 

Edward nodded. "Yeah, he's fine. Perfect, even. There's no logical reason why he's not pregnant yet." Dr. Geller had called them last evening and let them know that their sperm count was extremely high and there was nothing wrong with it. 

 

"Could it be one of you three?" Liam asked. 

 

"No. We're fine too." He shrugged. "Just not pregnant." 

 

"Well, it takes awhile for some people. He's only had one heat, right?" Liam asked. 

 

Edward nodded. "Yeah, and he was on a knot constantly." 

 

Liam didn't even cringe at the idea. "Well," He had no explanation for it. "Things take time. Just quit putting so much stress on yourselves and you'll be fine. Surprises can happen. Who knows? Maybe when you stop trying, that's when you'll find out he's pregnant." 

 

Edward ran his hand through his hair and sighed. When he looked up at Liam, his eyes were wet. "I wouldn't even blame him if he didn't ever want to come back, you know." He said quietly. "I've been a dick to him and he doesn't deserve it." He bit his lip and looked away. "I just want to have pups, but I want him even more. I don't care if we never have them. I just want him." 

 

Liam was quiet. He'd never,  _ever_ seen Edward emotional. It stunned him. He had no idea what to say. On one hand, he wanted Edward to open up again, to pour his heart out. On the other hand, he wanted to snap his friend out of it so that they could go and look for his omega. 

 

Edward inhaled deeply. "I don't even care if he never talks to me again. I just want my brothers to be happy. Louis makes them happy. If he comes back and wants them but doesn't want me - " He cut himself off with a shaky breath. His watery green eyes met Liam's. "I'd leave. Granted, I'd probably go and pitch myself off of a bridge, but I'd leave." 

 

Liam couldn't believe how unselfish Edward was being. He'd never pegged his friend to be like that. Edward always took charge and led the other two, but now, he was just as scared as Harry and Marcel. He was terrified that Louis wouldn't want him. He could live with the guilt if Louis ended up not wanting  _any_ of them, but if it was just him, singled out, he would die. 

 

He would leave, though, and let his brothers be happy. He would break their bond with a heavy heart, and he would leave them alone. Like he said earlier, probably go and pitch himself off of a bridge or a mountain somewhere. Just as long as his brothers and Louis were happy. That's all that mattered to him at this point. 

 

-

 

On the fourth day of being in the town, they still hadn't found Louis. Literally no one in town had seen him, and it made the triplets frantic. Harry and Marcel expressed their fear, but Edward kept it to himself. He'd revealed enough of himself a few days ago to Liam. He had been weak. What was Louis doing to him? 

 

They were all parked outside of the same supermarket that Louis had used their credit card, and were just about to give up hope. If Louis wanted to come back to them, he'd come back. That was all there was to it. They really had no plan anyway if they found him. Force him to come with them? That wouldn't go over well. It might even get them arrested. 

 

In the backseat, Sophia sighed. Liam rubbed her thigh. "I'm going inside. It's cold out here, and I'm hungry." 

 

"There is a little coffee bar in there," Marcel remembered. "We could go and get something to eat. We're not accomplishing anything by being out here." 

 

"Fine." Edward agreed. "But in and out. Quickly." 

 

Harry rolled his eyes and stepped out of the truck. The cold air whipped at his hair, creating a curtain over his face. He pushed it back and followed the group into the supermarket. The air was different, it was somehow sweeter. Maybe they were imagining things. They all headed towards the coffee bar and began browsing through the selection. 

 

Harry inhaled. "Are you making cookies?" He asked the barista. 

 

The barista shook his head. "No, sir. We don't start baking for another hour." 

 

Harry took another deep whiff. "Something smells really good." He searched through the racks, probably looking insane, but he needed to know what smelled so good. It smelled so familiar, so much like... "Louis." He said, standing straight up. "He's in here." 

 

"Yeah," Liam said, staring straight at the omega. "Right there." 

 

All three alphas turned so quickly they almost knocked over the displays. Louis was standing a few feet in front of them, safe and sound. He looked pale and tired, though, and they wanted nothing more than to cuddle him. 

 

Harry stepped forward, and Louis stepped back. The alpha faltered. He didn't know how to deal with that type of rejection. He felt Marcel tug him back. 

 

"Where were you?" Harry asked. 

 

"That doesn't matter." Louis said. It was so good to hear his voice again. 

 

"Are you coming home?" Marcel asked hopefully. 

 

"Yes." Louis answered. The three triplets, Liam, and Sophia all sighed in relief. "But," Louis said. "Not for good." 

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's only like half a day left to go and vote on the baby poll i posted on my twitter!! im @therealhappily 
> 
> this is short i apologize!!!!

The ride back to the cabin was silent. Louis sat in the back next to Liam and Sophia and he stared out the window the whole time. Marcel kept glancing back at him while Edward drove, his knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. Every now and then, Sophia would pat Louis' knee, letting him know silently that she was there for him and she would listen if he wanted to talk. 

 

During the first few minutes, Harry tried to get Louis to open up, but he was immediately shut down. Louis ignored him completely. In fact, Louis ignored them all. They'd be a little upset over it, but they were just so glad to have him back. In his head, Marcel was already making up some of the possible conversations they would be having while back at the cabin. In all of them, they convinced Louis to stay.

 

Unfortunately, none of them went that way.

 

-

 

When they reached the cabin four silent hours later, everyone trudged inside. Louis was first, and he darted right up the stairs. Harry sighed, assuming that he was going to go and pack his things. He slumped onto the couch dejectedly. Marcel sat beside him. Edward hid in the kitchen. 

 

Liam stood in front of his two friends, Sophia by his side. "So, are you three going to try to get him to stay?" He asked, glancing over at the Christmas tree. 

 

Harry shrugged. "Maybe?" He said. "He's said that he's wanted to leave before, but never did. I don't think that this is one of those times though." He sounded so sad. 

 

"I think he's going to leave for good." Marcel said sadly. "All because of a stupid joke." 

 

"Does he know that it was a joke?" Sophia spoke up. "I'm not saying that this whole thing can be resolved just like that, but it might open up a conversation that you four desperately need to have." 

 

Harry stared at the smart omega. "You're right. He doesn't know. When would be an appropriate time to tell him?" 

 

Liam looked up the dark stairway. "Maybe now? Before he packs all of his things?" 

 

Harry and Marcel nodded. They got up off of the couch and headed upstairs. They didn't hear any commotion, and when they pushed open the bedroom door, they were relieved to see that Louis wasn't packing up his things. He was simply sleeping.

 

-

 

Edward stared into the glass sitting in front of him. It had a dark brown liquid in it and the smell was so strong it made his eyes water. He was in the middle of debating on whether to drink it or not when Liam walked in. He didn't even glance up. He knew that Liam was giving him a sad look. 

 

"Harry and Marcel went upstairs to tell Louis the truth." Liam told him. He sat down beside his friend and clapped a hand on his back. 

 

"Cool." Edward muttered. He had no energy to care. 

 

"Do you want to go up there and explain?" Liam asked. "You are sort of the one who said it." 

 

Edward shrugged. "What's the point?" He sighed. He looked up at Liam. "My apologies don't mean anything anymore." 

 

Liam frowned. "What do you mean?" 

 

Edward's eyes were cold, but they did nothing to hide the hurt he was feeling. Liam knew Edward would fight every single time an emotion other than anger or lust tried to make an appearance. This was no surprise. 

 

"My apologies mean nothing," Edward repeated. "I've done some horrible things and he's been gracious enough to forgive me though I don't deserve it." 

 

"You do." Liam argued. 

 

Edward shook his head fiercely. "I don't, Liam. I don't. Not this time." 

 

Liam paused, trying to gather the right words to say. "Edward, you made a joke. A stupid,  _stupid_ joke, and he happened to overhear it. You deserve forgiveness for that. It was an accident that he heard it." 

 

"But does that make it better?" Edward asked angrily. "I still made the joke, counting on him not hearing it. How sick is that? I didn't even make it just to yank his chain or what the fuck ever." 

 

"Well," Liam paused again. "You have no filter. You've never had a filter. It's just something about you that no one can change. If Louis can't accept that, then -" 

 

"Don't," Edward yelled. His hand flew out and he knocked the glass across the room. Liam watched as the amber liquid spilled amongst the glass shards. "He did nothing wrong. This is all on me. Everything that has happened and will happen is on me.  _I_ ruined everything for my brothers." He knocked the stool back and began pacing. He came to an abrupt halt and stared at Liam. "I need my brothers to keep me happy, Liam. The problem is, they don't need me." 

 

It wasn't the way Edward said it, or the words themselves even, that scared Liam. It was the cold, dead look in Edward's eyes. He'd never seen that look, and he was afraid of what it meant. 

 

-

 

Two days later, shit hit the fan. Try as they might, Harry and Marcel could not get Louis to change his mind. Every time they tried to approach the omega with new bribes or offers, they were shot down. They can't say that they were surprised, but it still hurt. The love of their lives was leaving them, and they were powerless to stop it. The only one who might be a little successful in his attempts to make Louis stay was Edward, and he was distancing himself from everyone. He only talked to Liam. 

 

Louis had nothing to pack, because he brought nothing with him. It didn't feel right taking what the triplets bought him, and he figured it served them right having to live with the clothes he'd worn. Especially after everything he'd been through. Except - 

 

He  _wanted_ to stay. He wanted to stay with them and raise pups with them and take care of them until he couldn't move. After he denied Marcel and Harry the last time, he vowed to himself that he would say yes the next time they asked. But they never did. They finally got the hint and left him alone. All he got were sad looks from them. He wanted so much to shout at them and beg them to beg him to stay. 

 

But what he really, truly, desperately wanted was for  _Edward_ to be the one to ask him to stay. He missed the eldest alpha so much it hurt him to his core. He wanted Edward to get down on his knees and beg with everything he had. He wanted Edward to stop being a coward and confront him. The alpha had never had problems with that before, in fact, he would never shut up. 

 

Louis didn't like how cold and secluded Edward had become in the three short days they'd been home. He had some idea of what was going on, but no one would talk to him. It was as if Edward had become a bad thing to discuss, like saying his name would put a curse on whoever spoke it. Even Harry and Marcel had stopped approaching their older brother. 

 

It hurt Louis, knowing that it was ultimately  _him_ who had caused this mess. 

 

-

 

A frantic knock on the door startled them all out of their moods. Louis was telling himself he was staying regardless if he was asked again or not, Harry and Marcel were staring longingly at him, Edward was by himself in the armchair, and Liam and Sophia were watching the whole train wreck. No one made a move to answer the door. Finally, Liam sighed dramatically and got up. 

 

When he opened the door, Callie burst in, eyes wide and wet. Harry and Marcel stiffened, Edward stayed exactly like he was, and Louis rolled his eyes. They'd had enough drama for a lifetime. 

 

"Callie!" Sophia exclaimed, shocked. "What are you doing here?" She looked around the room nervously. 

 

Callie wrapped her arms around Sophia and hugged her tightly. When she pulled away, she had tears in her eyes. She wiped at them, careful not to smudge her makeup, and she turned to the triplets. "I have some news," She whispered. 

 

Sophia was on alert. "Callie..." She warned. "What are you doing?" 

 

Callie held her hand up to Sophia. "I need to do this." She nodded her head. 

 

"Do what - " Liam stepped in. "Callie, what are you doing?" 

 

"Please!" Callie shouted. "Let me say what I came to say." She took a deep breath and stared at Harry, Marcel, and Edward. Then, her hands slowly gravitated to her stomach. Sophia watched in horror as they finally cupped her belly. "I'm pregnant." 

 

"How -" Marcel stood slowly. 

 

"And it's yours," Callie pointed to the triplets. There was about a nanosecond of peace before shit hit the fan. Harry jumped up and started yelling, Louis nearly threw up, and Sophia tried dragging her friend to the side. Callie refused. "I needed you three to know!"

 

"It's not ours!" Harry shouted at her. Then, he turned to a horrified and pale Louis. He began shaking his head frantically. "It's not ours, It's not ours." 

 

"It is!" Callie shouted back at him. "Specifically, yours," She pointed accusingly at Harry again. 

 

Marcel swiveled Harry around. "What the fuck?" He screamed at his brother. "You slept with her?" 

 

"No!" Harry defended himself. 

 

"Yes he did!" Callie began sobbing. "You said that this might happen and you  _promised_ that you'd leave with me if it did! You liar!" 

 

"What the fuck?!" Harry stared at Callie wildly. "You're a fucking psycho!" 

 

"Hey!" Sophia defended her friend. 

 

"Everyone just calm down!" Liam stepped into the middle of the screaming, arguing alphas and omega and held his hands up. "We're not going to get anywhere when everyone is yelling and screaming!" 

 

Callie stared at the three brothers accusingly. One hand was cradling her belly. "This is your pup," She said to them. "Your  _heir_." 

 

Louis watched and became physically sick when he saw the anger melt off of Harry and Marcel. He glanced over at Edward and saw the same situation with him. They were going to accept it? Just like that? He felt nauseous. 

 

"Liam," He said, turning to the alpha. "Take me home." 

 

Liam looked confused. "But - " 

 

"Liam! Take me home! I want to go home!" Louis shouted. His stomach was rolling and his head was pounding and his heart was aching. 

 

Liam quickly recovered and nodded his head. "Sure, yeah, uh - sure." He patted his pockets blindly, looking for the truck keys. Across the room, Edward stared at Louis, and two feet away, Harry and Marcel almost fell to their knees. 

 

"You can't leave," Marcel begged. "Why are you leaving?" 

 

Louis kept his gaze focused on the floor. His head was turned. He didn't trust himself enough not to look up at them. If he did, he would surely stay. "I was going to stay," He said quietly. "I was going to stay with you all." 

 

"What changed baby?" Harry choked out. "Why are you leaving?" 

 

"You have everything you need now," His voice quivered, and he hoped no one detected it. 

 

"What do you mean?" Marcel sounded dangerously close to tears. "We have  _nothing_ without you." 

 

Across the room, half-covered by a shadow, Edward spoke. "We have our heir." His words were cold and cut through Louis like a knife. Edward hit where it hurt and Louis' heart crumbled. It was clear now. Everything Edward had said about Callie was true. He felt things for the pregnant omega standing in front of them. Tears welled up in Louis' eyes when he realized that he couldn't compete with her anymore. 

 

"Fuck you." He looked right at Edward. "I never want to see any of you as long as I live." He turned on his heel and stormed out of the cabin. He almost broke into a sprint, but Liam was going to take him straight home to his mother, and his life would be back to normal again. So instead, he clutched at his chest and tried to stifle his sobs. 

 

-

 

Louis sobbed the whole way home. If Liam didn't know Louis or the circumstances, he would think that Louis had just lost everything that was important to him. Hearing such cries made Liam feel shitty, even though none of it had anything to do with him. He felt shitty on behalf of his stupid fucking friends. 

 

"Do you want me to pull over or...?" He asked about two and a half hours into the drive. He glanced over at Louis, who was a tiny ball of emotions. He saw Louis shake his head before turning back to look at the dark road. "I understand why you're upset, I really do. But it was just a joke and - "

 

"That's not why I'm upset," Louis cried. His breaths were choppy and it scared Liam a bit. 

 

"Oh." Liam paused. "Uh. Well, Callie isn't a problem - " 

 

"That's not why I'm upset either." Louis interrupted angrily.

 

Liam had approximately an eighth of a second to open his mouth to reply before Louis began crying again. Actually, more like hyperventilating. Liam had to pull over. If he got into a wreck and Louis was hurt in any way, the triplets would gut him like a fish. When the truck was safely pulled over, he turned to the distraught omega. He didn't have to ask any questions. 

 

Louis looked over at Liam. He was the true definition of heartbreak. "I'm pregnant." He whispered. That sent him into another wave of tears. 

 

Liam stared blankly at him. "But - what - how?" 

 

Louis gasped a few times, trying to suck in some air. "I-I-I have a tipped uterus or something like that," He sobbed. "The doctor couldn't see the p-pup. S-She called me and -" 

 

"Okay, you need to calm down," Liam suggested gently. "I can't understand you." He waited until Louis had calmed down and taken a few deep breaths before talking again. "Okay, so what?" 

 

Louis took a breath. "I have a tipped uterus, I think is what she called it." Louis explained quietly. "She - Dr. Geller - couldn't see it on the ultrasound when we went. S-She called me a couple of days later and said she found something on one of the ultrasounds that she didn't see before. She thought it was a blood clot and asked me to come in." 

 

"Did you?" Liam asked. Stupid question. 

 

Louis nodded and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "It wasn't a blood clot." He said, his voice breaking. "She said it was a f-fetus and I was definitely pregnant." 

 

"Oh." Liam wanted to smile. Despite the shitty situation, this baby was something to be celebrated. "Do you know how far along you are?" 

 

Louis shook his head. "She said no more than seven or eight, but she couldn't see for sure. She barely found a heartbeat." He sucked in air through his nose and Liam winced at the wet sound of it. 

 

"Well, that's...great?" He asked, unsure. He didn't want to push his happiness onto Louis just yet. The omega clearly needed time to heal. He paused. "How do you feel?" 

 

Louis bit his lip and looked out the dark window for a few seconds. There was nothing but a dark, empty abyss, and that's sort of how he felt right then. He looked back at Liam, tears already welling in his eyes again. "I feel...numb." 

 

 


End file.
